74 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 66 
architectural remains have been studied and described by numerous 
explorers, among whom are Stevens, Maudslay, and Hewett. Much 
of interest, however, still remains hidden away in the dense tropical 
forest. The sculptures found here are among the most important 
known products of aboriginal American genius, the most remarkable 
example being the “ Great Turtle” or Dragon which will be described 
Fic. 78.—Temples 20 and 22, Copan, showing the vast magnitude of the 
substructures. Courtesy of the Peabody Museum. 
in detail in an article by Prof. Holmes in the general appendix of the 
Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1916. 
From the city of Zacapa in Guatemala an excursion was made 
across ranges of rugged mountains into Honduras where the ancient 
city of Copan was visited and studied in as much detail as the limited 
duration of the visit permitted. The vastness of the pyramids, 
terraces, and courts, the grandeur of the temples and the marvelous 
