Photo from Sylvanus G. Morley 

 SCULPTURED FRAGxMENTS OF STONE FOUND AROUND THE BASE OF TEMPLE A: NOTE 

 THE CURIOUS VARIETY OF BIZARRE DESIGNS 



and tramway were built for carrying off 

 the excavated material (see page 339). 



Surmounting the broad and spacious 

 terrace which forms the southern side of 

 the temple court was a large mound. A 

 (see page 348), which, from its size and 

 location, seemed to be the remains of a 

 very important construction. 



Fragments of sculptured stone, human 

 and grotesque heads, hands and feet, 

 feather-work and geometric forms, and 

 parts of a hieroglyphic cornice strewed 

 the ground on every side (see page 352), 

 and the first trenches brought to light 

 much additional material of the same 

 character. 



AN IMPOSING TEMPLE FOUND 



As the work of excavation proceeded 

 there gradually developed from this 

 mound of earth and fallen stone the 

 ground plan of what had originally been 

 an imposing temple. This temple (see 

 the ground plan on page 355) was found 

 to be 105 feet long and 29 feet wide. 



It is composed of seven chambers, sym- 



metrically arranged, the three larger ones 

 of which, those opening to the outside, 

 are 14 feet long and about half as wide. 



The four interior chambers, alternating 

 with the preceding, are somewhat smaller, 

 being only 9 feet long by 5 feet wide. 

 The floors of the smaller chambers are 

 in every case a foot and a half higher 

 than the flooring of the large chamber 

 from which they are entered ; and, sim- 

 ilarly, the floors of the larger chambers 

 are again 2 feet higher than the floors of 

 the spacious doorways giving into them. 

 In the latter case the rises of the steps 

 are sculptured with hieroglyphics, draw- 

 ings of which are shown on page 356. 

 Successive stages in the excavation of 

 the middle chamber of Temple A are 

 shown on pages 350 and 351. 



This chamber originally had three 

 heads tenoned into its back wall at a 

 height of 53^ feet above the floor (see 

 bottom row on page 354). 



This unusual feature of decoration 

 doubtless indicates a chamber of corre- 

 sponding importance, which its central 



347 



