RUINS OF TENAMPUA, HONDURAS — POPENOE 565 



The wall surrounding the Central Enclosure is so badly broken 

 down that it was impossible for us to determine its construction with- 

 out excavation. This was commenced at the southwest corner. We 

 found a central core of soil, faced on both sides with roughly cut 

 stone, and traversed at irregular intervals by Ioav stone partitions. 

 The thickness of the wall is approximately 4.5 meters. Its height 

 above the ground is about 1 meter on the outside, somewhat less on 

 the inner surfaces toward the patio, owing to the fact the latter 

 has been raised some 35 centimeters above the general level. 



Excavation of one corner of the patio to the level of the outside 

 ground showed it to be built up of ordinary soil. Outside the wall, 

 and surrounding it at a distance of about 1 meter, is a low line of 

 stones, in many places broken away. This may mark the edge of a 

 low outer terrace, now obliterated. 



As the work of cleaning and excavating progressed, I came to the 

 conclusion that the builders of Tenampua were neither great archi- 

 tects nor accurate workmen. We took measurements of this wall and 

 found that the eastern side (approximately 84 meters in length) 

 exceeds the western by some 4^ meters. The southern side is 1% 

 meters longer than the northern. 



The large mound is about 31/^ meters in height, and 21 by I514 

 meters at the base. Its internal structure was partly disclosed by the 

 excavation in which we built our camp. To complete the work we 

 drove a shaft from the summit through the center. The lower and 

 middle layers were found to be composed of topsoil scraped, undoubt- 

 edly, from the neighboring ground ; above this, and on the sides, we 

 found a la3^er of broken rock faced with stone. The remnants of 

 three terraces are barely visible on this mound. 



The scanty remains of the stairway were cleaned and restored. The 

 stone slabs which formerly served as steps are poorly cut and of vary- 

 ing sizes. The fact that they are now sadly out of line is due, no 

 doubt, to the pressure of pine roots. A large tree has grown from the 

 very summit of this mound. 



While digging the shaft, parts of two pottery dishes came to light. 

 The first had been a spherical jug, unpainted, with four circular han- 

 dles at the mouth. It may have had originally a neck or spout, for the 

 top opening, though small, has a broken edge lacking any vestige of a 

 rim — the part that usually survives. 



The second specimen, also broken and lacking several pieces, is of 

 exceptional beauty. It is a shallow dish, 23 centimeters in diameter, 

 supported by three stout legs. A reconstructed drawing is here pre- 

 sented (fig. 2). The original is painted in three colors — cream, a 

 warm brick-red, and dark brown. 



