THE RUINS OF TULOOM, YUCATAN 



201 



stoneciitting, all of which was done 

 with stone tools. 



All walls, both exterior and interior, 

 were originally treated with painted 

 decorations. In some places, particu- 

 larly on interior walls, these paintings 

 have been partially preserved. The 

 subjects depicted are the different 

 deities of the Maya 

 pantheon in acts 

 of sacrifice. The 

 famous red hand 

 found by Stephens 

 at so many places 

 in Yucatan fre- 

 quently occurs 

 here. Dr. Gann 

 made a number of 

 tracings of these 

 wall paintings, al- 

 tliough in the lim- 

 ited time available 

 it was possible to 

 undertake littlf 

 more than a be- 

 ginning upon this 

 important work.^ 

 Stucco was exten- 

 sively employed in 

 fagade decoration. 

 Discs, rosettes, and 

 scrolls adorn the 

 medial cornices 

 and sometimes ser- 

 pent or grotesque 

 heads are used in 



the upper zones. The most elaborate de- 

 velopment of stucco work is the large 

 human figures in the niches over the 

 exterior doorways. These stand three 

 feet high, and probably represent the 

 principal Maya deities. About half of 

 them are in a diving position, that is, 



1 In the accompanying color reproductions, the 

 background color, a deep purplish red, has been 

 omitted in order to simplify the designs. In the 

 originals the black outlines and the more delicate 

 pale blue decorations are almost lost against the 

 solid darker color of the background. 



Human figures in stucco adorn the niches over 

 tlie doorways of the principal temples at Tuloom. 

 Some are erect, others are in a diving posture. 

 They probably represent the principal deities 

 worshiped at the place 



the feet are elevated above the head, 

 with the arms together under the chin. 

 Several buildings show different 

 periods of construction, and careful 

 study would doubtless develop different 

 periods of building activity throughout 

 the city. 



The liieroglyphic monument was 

 found where Dr. 

 Howe had left it 

 on the beach, and 

 its inscription was 

 drawn and photo- 

 graphed. His read- 

 ing of the date, 

 "9.6.10.0.0 8 Ahau 

 13 Pax," approxi- 

 mately 290 A.D., 

 was verified, there- 

 by developing an 

 exceedingly com- 

 plex problem. The 

 occurrence of such 

 an early date as 

 290 A.D. at such 

 an obviously late 

 Maya city as Tu- 

 loom is difficult to 

 explain. Geograph- 

 ically, architectur- 

 ally, stylistically, 

 and historically 

 considered, Tu- 

 loom is a thou- 

 sand years later 

 than the date on 

 this monument. Indeed, barring this one 

 early date, there is nothing at Tuloom 

 to connect it with the Old Empire; on 

 the contrary, its location, art, and archi- 

 tecture strongly indicate that it is to be 

 referred to the close of the New Em- 

 pire, probably after 1200 a.d.^ This 



2 Dr. Gann, who has published tracings of wall 

 paintings at Santa Rita Corozal that show a strong 

 Kahua influence, probably felt subsequent to 1200 

 A.I)., declares that the Tuloom and Santa Rita fres- 

 coes are very similar in treatment. 



