52 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. f]i 



Among the lower class tlie men seem to have worn no garment 

 except the maxtli, consisting of a loin-cloth wound several times 

 around the waist, the ends hanging down in front and behind, like 

 small aprons. The women wore two garments, similar to those of 

 the modern Maya, the liuijnl, or loose, sleeveless upper gamient reach- 

 ing to the hips (at the present this is worn longer, reachmg well below 

 the knees) and a short, loose skirt, both of cotton, and both embroid- 

 ered in colors at the borders.^ The warriors wore m addition to the 

 maxtli a breastplate of thick quilted cotton, saturated with salt, 

 arrow and spear proof, and ornamented with bows, studs, and tassels. 

 To its upper border was attached a hollow bar, through which passed 

 a cord, contmued round the back of the neck, holdmg the breastplate 

 in place. 



Both warriors and priests wore very elaborate headdresses. Those 

 of the former were decorated with plumes of feathers and many of 

 them held in front the head of some animal carved in wood,^ as the 

 jaguar, eagle, peccary, snake, or alligator. Some of the headdresses of 

 the priests were shaped like a bishop's miter, while others resembled the 

 Egyptian headdress. All classes wore sandals of leather or platted 

 henequen fiber. The ornaments worn consisted of large circular ear 

 plugs of shell, greenstone, or pottery, many with a tassel dependent 

 from the center; studUke labrets at each side of the mouth; 

 and occasional triangular ornaments attached on each ala of the 

 nose. Round the neck were worn strings of beads, some in the 

 form of human or animal heads, others with a gorget of greenstone 

 or shell in the form of a human mask dependent from them. 

 Wristlets and anklets of large oval beads, fastened with ornamental 

 loops, were common, and copper finger rings have been found on two 

 occasions, though it is possible that these may not have been intro- 

 duced till after the conquest. Among the upper classes the orna- 

 ments were made from jade, greenstone, iron pyrites, obsidian, 

 mother-of-pearl, and copper; among the lower, from pottery, shell, 

 and stone. 



WEAPONS 



The offensive weapons of the natives here dealt with consisted of 

 flint and obsidian tipped arrows,^ javelins, and spears, flint and stone 



1 Sus vestiduras, de que vsavan, eran vnos Ayates, 6 Gabachas, sin Mangas, y sus Mantas, todo de Algoddn 

 texido de varios colores: Y ellos y las Mugeres, vnas como Faxas, de lo mismo, de cosa de quatro varas de 

 largo, y vna tercia de ancho, con que se gefiian, y cubrian las partes; y algunas al canto, u orilla, mucha 

 Plumeria de colores, que era su ma.vor gala.— Villagutierbe, op. cit., p. 498. 



2 Tenlan algunos senores y capitanes como moriones de palo y estos eran pocos, y con estas armas ivan 

 a la guerra, y con plumajes y pellejos de tigres, y leones, puestos los que los tenian.— Landa, op. cit., p. 172. 



3 Y en las orillas de la Playa, solo se veian amontonadas la multitud de Flechas, que la rcsaca de las olas 

 avia llevado a Tierra. De adonde se puede inferir, quan inmenso seria el numero de ellas, que los Infieles 

 arrojaron 4 los Pobres Christianos. — Vulagutieere, op. cit., p. 483. 



