1850.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



75 



the building on tlie highest terrace 320 feet in length. The steps 

 do not always ascend in a direct line I'roni the ground to the prin- 

 cipal entrance of tlie building, but sonietinies tlje first terrace is 

 ascended by steps to the northern side, — wliile to arrive at the 

 second the lower terrace has to be traversed lialf-way round, the 

 next flight of stairs being found to the soutli: whetlier tliis plan 

 was adopted for greater securitj', or from an idea of giving greater 

 importance to the temple or palace by difficulty of access, it is 

 hard to say. Occasionally, figures of great size, sculptured in 

 bas-relief, have been found at each side of the steps. The princi- 

 pal flight of steps at Zayi is 32 feet in width. 



The different cities would seem to have formed one great king- 

 dom, from the similarity in architecture and the close resemblance 

 of the sculptures and hieroglyphic inscriptions. The buildings 

 are of stone, sometimes of one story, sometimes of two or tliree; 

 when this latter is the case, each story recedes from the one below 

 it, so as to give a pyramidal form to the structure. The facade is 

 perfectly plain up to the moulding that runs along the top of the 

 doorway; above this it is elaborately ornamented with carved work 

 relieved on a painted ground. The style of decoration being bar- 

 barous and fantastic, the drawing of a portion of the fajade of the 

 Casa del Gobernador may serve to give an idea of the style: the 

 grinning Gorgon's head in the centre calls to mind some of those 

 on tlie antique Etruscan bronzes. Sometimes no general design 

 has been adopted, but the facade covered with a kind of sculp- 

 tured mosaic. In one instance, at Uxmal, the front of the build- 

 ing is divided into compartments by a bas-relief representing huge 

 serpents intertwined like a rope; the compartments are occupied 

 by figures of idols and other devices. Traces of paint are always 

 found, tlie colours used being the same as in Egypt and Assyria. 

 The facade is pierced by a number of doorways — sometimes as 

 many as fourteen along the front of the building. These door- 

 ways are generality mere rectangular openings, without moulding 

 or other ornament; but, occasionally, rows of small columns or 

 pilasters, not exceeding 6 ft. 6 in. in height, form the piers sepa- 

 rating them. These columns are usually plain, with a square 

 abacus; but at Kewick, as shown in the accompanying engraving, 

 the attached pillars are ornamented with a binding round the shaft 

 — reminding us of the description of Assyrian palm-tree columns, 

 bound round with coloured bulrushes. 



Doorway at Kewick. 



The doorways lead into a corridor with a high vaulted roof 

 formed — in the same manner as among most ancient nations before 

 the true principle of the arch was known — by horizontal courses of 

 stones, projecting one over another till they nearly met, and then 

 capped by a flat stone at the summit, the inverted steps being 

 afterwards cut away: this method need not necessarily have been 

 borrowed from the East, but would present itself naturally to all 

 early builders in stone. — This corridor leads to an open court, sur- 

 rounded by various apartments; in some of these courts an unhewn 

 upright stone is found, which is supposed to have been a "kebla," 

 or stone of observation, and to mark the site of a sacred edifice. 



At Chichen there is an apartment with a flat roof, divided by 

 transverse beams and supported by massive square pillars, like the 



interior of an Etruscan tomb; but, generally speaking, the build- 

 ings of ancient America differ more in the extent and number of 

 the courts and corridors, than in style and arrangement. Tlie 

 masonry is beautifully wrought, the stones frequently polished and 

 accurately fitted, though in some instances a mortar of lime and 

 sand has been used. Near Copan, a quarry has been discovered in 

 the midst of the forest, where many hewn stones are lying as if 

 just ready to be removed. 



The people of the Western world do not seem to have paid the 

 same attention to the abodes of the dead as the inhabitants of the 

 East: no sculptured tombs are found, nor are there any excava- 

 tions, notwithstanding the proximity of rocks. A sepulchral pit 

 was discovered at Copan, containing pots of red earthenware, many 

 of which, according to Colonel Galindo, were full of human bones. 

 Dishes and vessels of pottery have been found amongst the various 

 ruins, and also images of terracotta. The images and idols are 

 disproportionate, and hideous in the extreme, and appear calcu- 

 lated to excite feelings of repugnance and horror in the minds of 

 the worshippers, rather than any sentiment of reverence or ad- 

 miration. 



There is a belief current in Yucatan, that amongst the moun- 

 tains, in a region inaccessible to the white man, a city still exists, 

 inhabited by the aboriginal race; and now and then a daring ad- 

 venturer is said to have ascended a rocky peak, whence the gleam- 

 ing walls and palaces of the mysterious town ate visible — but none 

 who have ventured beyond have returned to tell the tale. As the 

 Indians say, '■'Qtiieii Sube!" The subject is as yet in its infancy; 

 a wide field is open for discovery! and notwithstanding the dread- 

 ful climate, and fatigues and hardships to be endured in that « ild 

 country, doubtless there are daring spirits w illing to follow in the 

 footsteps of those who have led the way; and in a few years much 

 may be brought to light, and perha|)s all present theories and con- 

 jectures superseded by others founded on a surer ground of evi- 

 dence. 



I now proceed to the examination of a class of monuments more 

 immediately interesting to us, as many of the most perfect are 

 found in our own country. I mean those known as Druidical or 

 Celtic remains. Among all the memorials of the past which 

 time has spared to us, none are more wonderful than these: they 

 exist everywhere — not only where the Celtie tribes are known 

 to have permanently settled, but in Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, 

 China, Persia, India, Egypt, and even in America. These monu- 

 ments also tend to confirm the supposition, that at some period a 

 similarity of worship has prevailed over the known world. They 

 may be divided into five classes — viz. 1st, The Cairn, or carnedd; 

 2nd, The Maen-hir, or upright stone; 3rd, The Cromlech and 

 Dolmen; 4th, The Kist-vaen, or stone chest; and, 5th, The Circle 

 of stones. 



The Cairn is simply a heap of stones, sometimes piled up in 

 memory of any particular event, as in the covenant between Jacob 

 and Laban, — sometimes as a sepulchral monument. When the 

 cairn is unaccompanied by an upright stone, it is a sign that an 

 infamous person lies beneath. To cast a stone upon a grave is 

 an ancient mark of abhorrence — the sepulchre of Absalom is nearly 

 choked up by the number of stones that have been thrown there in 

 detestation of his memory. The tumulus, or barrow, on the con- 

 trary, was the most honourable place of burial; the kings and 

 great men lay within these mounds, with tlieir armour and weapons 

 beside them. Frequently numerous skeletons are found in one 

 barrow, which would seem to have been the cemetery for the sur- 

 rounding population. In some places, several tumuli or barrows 

 are grouped together. The word "tumulus" is from the Celtic 

 root tumba — whence tombniu and tomb; "barrow" is from the 

 Saxon beorg or byriff, and is applied indiscriminately to any mound 

 of earth, whether intended as a fortification or a place of sepul- 

 ture. The termination "bury" is taken from this word; and near 

 any of our numerous towns ending in bur;/, some ancient eartli- 

 work invariably is, or has lieen found. The custom of burying 

 within these mounds or hea]is continued for many centuries after 

 the Christian era, for we find a law of Charlemagne, in the ninth 

 century, enacting that the bodies of all Cliristians shall be taken 

 to the cemeteries, and not buried in the tumuli of the heathens. 

 Heaps of stones are also piled as landmarks; they are placed on 

 the hills in Scotland to guide the shepherds, and still receive tlie 

 name of cairns. 



The Maen-liir, the stones of memorial or observation, were 

 generally placed upright as pillars. Tliis setting-up of stones was 

 the most ancient manner of commemorating any important fact; 

 Jacob, after his memorable dream, set up the stone on which his 

 head had rested, as a pillar (Genesis xxviii. IS); it is also recorded 



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