24:2 CERTAIN ANTIQUITIES OF EASTERN MEXICO [eth. a> 



the temples of Huitzilopochtli and Tlalocon the oreat pj-raiiiid of Mex- 

 ico represents a panel over the doorway with horizontal rows of white 

 circles on a black ground, and in a somewhat better figure of the same 

 temple there are added to these white-circle representations of human 

 skulls. Although nothing now remains in the panels forming the 

 frieze of the Cempoalan temple, the manj clay heads found at the base 

 of the pyramid, as well as statements of the early visitoi"s. indicate 

 that those panels were ornamented with such heads. The inner sur- 

 faces of the temple walls correspond to the outer so far as the panels 

 are concerned, but the surfaces are less worn and show more clearly 

 the remains of superficial paintings. 



The floor of the temple, which is likewise the surface of the plat- 

 form of the pyramid, was formerly smoothly plastered and had a 

 square depression several feet deep in its middle. Evidently this 

 depression, which is still visible, was originally covered by a square 

 stone whose edges rested in a groove. 



This ruin, like the others, has been nuich damaged by the roots of 

 large trees that are tearing the cement apart, but the exposed surfaces 

 are still well preserved — a remarkable fact considering the age of these 

 buildings and the erosive action of the rains to which they have been 

 subjected. 



A few feet in front of the lower steps of the stairway is a low, cir- 

 cular pedestal made of concrete covered with plaster, which was prob- 

 ably an altar, and in front of this a rectangular platform marks the 

 [losition of a basin-like structure, pi-esentin front of other pyramids 

 also. 



BUILDING I) 



1 his building (plate CI )})elongs to the same type as that lust mentioned, 

 and is in about the same state of preservation. Its j)yiamid is com- 

 posed of two stories, a liasal story somewhat lower than in building C, 

 and a second storj', well preserved, resting upon it. This temple is 

 smaller than the others, its walls being a little higher than the heads of 

 the persons who stand in the embrasure, formerlx- a doorway. Breaks 

 in the walls of this temple indicate the position where lintels have 

 been wrenched from their places. One featui-e of the second story 

 shown in a view from one corner (plate cii) is a battlement or row of 

 terra(;ed projections arranged along the mai'gin of its platform. The 

 stairway, with lateral buttresses, is situated on the east side, and is 

 broken into two parts, one above the other, separated by a landing. 

 The lower stairs end on the top of the basal story, from which the 

 second stairway rises to the platform on which stood the walls of the 

 temple or sanctuary." 



"Compnrethis building with a sketch of a Yucatan temple in Landa's Relacion de lasCosasde 

 Yucatan, sacada de lo escrivio el Padre Fray Diego de Landa de la Orden de St. yranei^co. See 

 Kosney'sEnsayoyobrcIalnterpretacion de La Eseritura Hieraticade America Central, translation by 

 Itada vDelgado, Appendix, p. 101. Madrid, lss-1. 



