344 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 2S 



later in the journal Monumental Records. From this and from Mr 

 Rodriguez's report I gathered the information which appears below: 



The pyramid is situated about 2,000 feet above the town, on a cliff 

 detached from the ridge of the mountain range, which north of the 

 town rises rugged and precipitous above the level plain. The 

 pyramid itself is not visible from the plain, but its approximate 

 location is marked by huge crags which on the left project above 

 the mountain ridge. From the foot of the precipice the road ascends 

 through a small canyon. Several long flights of steps are encoun- 

 tered, some of them cut into the rock, others built of masonry. 

 Carved inscriptions are to be seeji here and there on the perpen- 

 dicular walls of the ravine. About halfway to the top the road 

 emerges from the canyon and winds aloft on the very face of the 

 cliff. For nearly 100 steps, according to Saville's statement, the 

 ascent is almost perpendicular. Steps are hewn into the rock or 

 supported by masonry. When Rodriguez began his excavations here 

 he was obliged to use ladders in two places, because the way was 

 obstructed by fallen rock fragments. Wlien the top of the cliff is 

 finally reached it is seen to consist of two separate plateaux which 

 are connected by a narroAv neck. On the western one of these two 

 plateaux is the temple pyramid ; the eastern one is almost completely 

 covered with foundation walls of buildings of different kinds and 

 sizes, which probably were the dwellings of priests, and other build- 

 ings adjoining. Behind rises a rocky cliff covered wdth pine woods, 

 wdiich can only be reached from this spot, and here Mr Rodriguez 

 found running w^ater. 



Viewed from the east side, the pyramid is seen to rise in three 

 terraces over a rough substructure that forms a horizontal base on 

 the uneven, rocky ground (see figure 84, from a photograph). A 

 flight of steps on this side leads up to the top of the first terrace, 

 which, rising to a height of 9.5 meters above the rock foundation, 

 forms the broad base of the building proper, formed by the 

 two other terraces. A second stairway on the south side near the 

 entrance of the temple leads to the top of the lower terrace (see the 

 plan, plate xl). On the west side, which is the front of the temple, 

 this first terrace forms a small platform (e on the plan, plate xl), 

 and in the center of this there is a low rectangular bench, d, with 

 serrated corners, up which flights of steps probably led on all four 

 sides. The location of this little structure corresponds to the spot 

 wdiere, in the great temple of Mexico, stood the two round stones, the 

 quauhxicalli and the temalacatl, and it was probably used for simi- 

 lar sacrificial purposes. I also found a very similar structure in 

 Quiengola in the middle line of the platform of the east pyramid, 

 Avhose front likewise faced the west. From this platform a stairway 

 leads to the top of the second terrace and to the entrance of the temple 



