Oann] MAYA INDIANS OF YUCATAN AND BRITISH HONDURAS 69 



but a small quantity of impalpable dust. The second contained 

 about an equal quantity of similar dust, together with a small rough 

 opal. The excavatioii of this mound \vas continued to a depth of 

 about 18 feet, but nothing further was discovered. 



The circular space inclosed within the earthwork was surfaced by 

 a layer var^nng from 2 feet to 3 feet in thickness, resting on the bed- 

 rock, and composed of rubble and powdered marl beaten into a 

 compact mass, covered by two layers of cement, one beneath the 

 other, which formed a smooth level floor over the whole inclosure. 

 A great part of the earthwork and the rubble from the floor of the 

 inclosed space have been removed to repair the Corozal streets. 

 Nothing, however, was found within them with the exception of a 

 few broken flint axheads and spearheads, some hammerstones (which 

 are found practicaUy everywhere), fragments of obsidian knives, 

 and quantities of potsherds. Plate 10 shows a section through the 

 earthwork in process of removal at its western extremity. 



The wall is 21 feet 8 inches in height at this point, though only 

 about 17 or 18 feet are shown in the 

 photograph, as the ground was filled up 

 behind the men excavating by a heap 

 of limestone dust 3 or 4 feet high, left 

 after the stones had been removed. The 

 wall is composed here from the ground 

 up of — (1) a layer of small rubble, 18 

 inches in thickness, the stones compos- 

 ing which had apparently been picked ^'^- 2o.-Pottery^ve^is from Mound 

 off the land ; (2) a layer of cement, 6 to 8 



inches in thickness (the upper surface of this layer is continuous with 

 the upper surface of the cement covering the inclosed space, and the 

 two together evidently formed originally one continuous flat, smooth 

 pavement) ; (3) a layer of large rough blocks of limestone, 8 feet in 

 thickness, built in together with some care, but without the interven- 

 tion of mortar (these blocks had evidently been quarried out especially 

 for this purpose, as they were quite fresh and showed no signs of weath- 

 ering) ; (4) a cement layer 3 feet in thickness, composed of alternate 

 thin layers of bluish gray cement and thick layers of yellowish 

 cement, which can be faintly seen in the photograph. At the point 

 B, plate 10, were found a quantity of ashes and small pieces of charred 

 wood; the large stones in the neighborhood were also blackened by 

 the action of fire, and ashes were mixed with the lower part of the 

 cement layer, which would seemingly indicate that a large fire, 

 lasting a considerable period, had been kept up at this point on top 

 of layer c before the cement capping was added. The top layer, 8 feet 

 high, is composed of loose, friable mortar with rough blocks of lime- 

 stone set in it irregularly and fuiished with a conical cap. In the 



