The lower chamber of the Temple of the Jaguars is a mass of interesting sculptm-es wliich were 

 primarily painted and which show processions of warriors who bear tributes to various gods. Two 

 rectangular columns formerly supported the facade which has now fallen 



When Grijalva and Cortes sailed their 

 caravels to the low-lying, palm-fringed 

 coast of Yucatan in 1517 and 1518, they 

 found the Maya Indians in a state of 

 advancement that excited wonder and 



Detail of the sculptured lower chamber of the Temple of the Jaguars 

 [See stones slightly above center in preceding photograph]. The stones 

 seem to have been carved after they were put in place in the wall. 

 Traces of color are still discernible 

 26 



admiration. Yet we know from many 

 documents that not a single one of the 

 great stone-built cities was really occu- 

 pied at this time. Great trees were 

 growing from the roofs of the buildings 

 at Uxmal and while 

 Chichen Itza was a 

 place of pilgrimage 

 and sacrifice, it is 

 pretty clear that the 

 temples we have just 

 seen were all aban- 

 doned and in partial 

 ruin. To restore the 

 history of Chichen 

 Itza we must review 

 our knowledge of the 

 other great Maya 

 cities situated not 

 only in northern 

 Yucatan but also far 

 to the south and west 

 in Guatemala and 

 Honduras. 



The restoration of 



