102 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 97 



From the slope of the terrain we would estimate that the northern end 

 of the " canal " is at least 50 to 60 feet higher than its southern termina- 

 tion on the lake shore, hence any attempt to " drain the lake " would 

 be absurd. This same factor, however, would favor the theory of a 

 great central irrigation ditch, should geologists determine that the 

 water level of the Rio Blanco was once considerably higher than at 

 present. 



There is another possible explanation which emphasizes the con- 

 tinuous mound or causeway and accounts for the ditch or " canal " 

 as merely a bor row-pit. A glance at the sketch-map (fig. 20) will show 

 that the causeway might well have been a ceremonial or defensive 

 structure enclosing the great mound group west of Jaral, since it 

 extends from the steep, encircling mountains all the way to the lake. 

 A flat area is thus entirely enclosed and in the center of this rise 

 the great mounds of Los Naranjos (fig. 20). Here we must leave 

 the problem, the true answer to which must depend on the cartographer, 

 the geologist, and the adequate excavation of the archeologist. 



Pyramids and Stone Statues near Los Naranjos 



The dominant archeological feature on the north shore of Lake 

 Yojoa is the extremely impressive group of great mounds, or pyra- 

 mids, located about 20 minutes' easy walk west of Jaral (see map, 

 fig. 20). This site was first described by Mrs. Doris Zemurray .Stone 

 (1934) as the southernmost known Maya city and designated Los 

 Naranjos, after the little modern village to the west. J. B. Edwards 

 has made what appears to be an excellent sketch map of this site 

 based on his own explorations. He very kindly furnished us with 

 a copy of this. So far as our own sketch map (fig. 20) is concerned, 

 we have located and numbered these mounds in general accordance 

 with Mr. Edwards' map, omitting, however, mounds 6 and 7, slightly 

 east of the main group, which we did not examine ourselves. Since 

 the Los Naranjos mounds or pyramids cover a large area and are 

 all covered with dense forest or bush, the preparation of an accurate, 

 surveyed map would be a considerable task. Until this is accomplished 

 Mr. Edwards' map is the best available and, so far as our own limited 

 explorations went, seems generally accurate. We have not reproduced 

 it here, however, since it was primarily made for Frans Blom and will 

 probably appear in connection with publications of Tulane University. 



The Los Naranjos mounds or pyramids are of great size, as indi- 

 cated by our photograph of one of the smaller terraced mounds 

 (mound i, pi. 16, fig. 4) . Yde has overdone it, however, when he shows 



