schellhas] conclusions 621 



Conclusions 



The results of this comparative study, which by no means exhausts 

 the subject, and is only intended to emphasize the chief points suffi- 

 ciently for the present purpose, are in many respects striking. One of 

 the principal conclusions is: There is no single, uniform type among 

 what is known as the Maya antiquities. The manuscripts form an 

 independent group, the relief representations from the ruined cities 

 of Yucatan a second, the clay images a third. Remains of the differ- 

 ent groups are alike in many particulars, but not so mucli as if all the 

 material sprang from a conmion source. The architectural remains 

 in Yucatan nnist naturally be regarded as having undoubtedly origi- 

 nated with the ancient inhal^itants of Mayapan. We have, however, 

 already shown that even Bishop Landa did not consider it superfluous 

 to furnish proofs that these ancient inhabitants were ethnologically 

 identical with the inhabitants of Yucatan at the time of the conquest. 

 And these very architectural remains bear a most striking resem- 

 blance, especially in tlie bas-reliefs, to Mexican antiquities, such as we 

 do not find, at least not to the same extent, in the Maya manuscripts 

 and in the clay figures. On the other hand, the type of the represen- 



FiG. 129. A weaver's shuttle, from Yucatan. 



tations in the codices and of the clay figures agrees far better with that 

 found in the antiquities of Palenque and Copan; but even here the 

 differences are still too great to establish a belief in a common origin. 

 It is evident that very divergent influences have been at Avork in the 

 ancient culture area of Central America. Especially are traces of 

 the influence of Mexican races, as, for instance, the Aztecs, plainly 

 perceptible in Yucatan proper. Intercourse and commercial rela- 

 tions did exist between the Aztecs and the Mayas. Side by side witli 

 this influence emanating from the races on the northwest border, we 

 also find another factor of civilization Avhose origin we may seek to 

 the south of the i)eninsula of Yucatan. It seems to be the genuine, 

 aboriginal source of Central American civilization, which reached its 

 highest development among the Maya races. In contrast to the stiti, 

 angular, conventional type of Mexican art products, we find, the 

 farther we pursue this factor of civilization, softer, more graceful, 

 and at the same time more realistic forms. Among the anti(iiiities 

 which show this influence are tlie remains at Copan and PaUMKiue, 

 the Maya codices, and a great part of the clay figure.-, in the 'I'ucatan 

 collection. All these facts point to a region south of the "i'ucatan 



