RUINS OF TENAMPUA, HONDURAS — POPENOE 561 



PREPARATIONS FOR STUDYING THE RUINS 

 Upon leaving Tela in July 1927, I proceeded direct to the city of 

 Tegucigalpa, where, through the active interest of the Minister of 

 Gobernacion y Justicia, Dr. Jose Maria Casco, permission to ex- 

 plore, excavate, and pliotograph the ruins was granted by his 

 Excellency, President Miguel Paz Baraona. 



I then returned to Coniayagua, where I have to thank my good 

 friends, the Seiioritas Mercedes and Julia Castillo Medal, for their 

 gracious hospitality during the time spent in preparing and out- 

 fitting for the work to be done. Don Carlos David kindly offered 

 the use of a house in Flores. This village is situated a league and a 

 half from the ruins, and it had originally been my intention to spend 

 my nights there, returning to the ruins daily; but the considerable 

 amount of time lost in this fashion, together with the fatigue follow- 

 ing upon the climb of several hundred meters from the valley floor 

 to the mountain top, caused me early to abandon the plan and to 

 establish headquarters in a rude camp in the midst of the ruins. 



Three weeks were spent in mapping, studying, and photographing, 

 and in reconstructing several of the stairways and walls. During 

 this period I had the constant and loyal assistance of Jorge Benites, 

 whose intelligence and efficiency were invaluable. 



PREVIOUS AIICHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH 



The first authentic account of this site which has come to my notice 

 is contained in a letter written by the learned and brilliant E. G. 

 Squier to the Historical Society of New York. This was sent, in 

 the year 1853, from the city of Comayagua, and was later published. 



Five years after this, Squier published a more complete descrip- 

 tion of the site in his well-known work entitled " Notes on Central 

 America, Particularly the States of Honduras and Salvador." It is 

 to be regretted that he included no maps, diagrams, or sketches, so 

 that the reader fails to receive a graphic picture of the ruins. 



H. H. Bancroft, in his work entitled " Native Races of the Pacific 

 Coast" (1875-76) attempted, perhaps, to remedy this deficiency, for 

 he prepared a diagram of the Central Enclosure based upon Squier's 

 description. I am informed by H. J. Spinden that this diagram 

 (which I have not personally seen) is not accurate. 



In 1916-17 the Peabody Museum of Harvard University sent an 

 archeological expedition to Central America, in charge of S. K. 

 Lothrop. This party visited Tenampua and mapped the entire 

 mountain top. Their complete report has not been published, but a 

 section of the map, showing the Central Enclosure and the Parallel 

 Structure appeared in a general account of the expedition which 

 was published in Indian Notes, Museum of the American Indian, 

 New York City, volume 4, 1927. 



