Photo from Sylvanus G. Morley 

 FRAGMENTS OF THF MFDIAIv AND UPPER CORNICES OF TEMPLE A 



In the foreground appear several blocks from the hieroglyphic cornice, which divided 

 the facade into two horizontal bands. Behind are blocks from the upper cornice, showing 

 the leaf or feather pattern. 



Decoration was largely confined to the 

 exteriors, and was effected by fluting, 

 painting, and incising. It has been sug- 

 gested that the first of these was de- 

 rived originally from the calabash, which 

 abounds in the vicinity. The yield of 

 specimens from the other chambers of 

 lemple A was rather meager, all com- 

 bined being less than the cache just de- 

 scribed. 



THE TEMPEE CONFORMS TO MAYA TYPE 



The fagade of Temple A, like that of 

 all Maya structures, was divided into two 

 parts by a cornice which passed around 

 all four sides of the building half way 

 between the top and bottom. 



In Temple A this cornice was com- 

 posed of a band of hieroglyphics which 

 began at the northeastern corner and ex- 

 tended clear around the building. Below 

 this cornice the fagade was plain, being 

 without sculptural decoration of any kind. 



This severe treatment of the lower 

 panel offered a striking and effective con- 



trast to the upper panel, which was com- 

 posed of an elaborate mosaic of sculp- 

 tured stones finished at the top with 

 another cornice showing a leaf motive. 



Unfortunately the upper part of the 

 building has suffered most, having fallen 

 at every point, carrying with it all of this 

 sculptured mosaic, not a single stone of 

 which now remains in its original posi- 

 tion. This appears very clearly in the 

 picture on page 357, which shows the 

 front or north side of Temple A. 



The walls up to the hieroglyphic cor- 

 nice are perfectly plain. At the left, 

 where the inscription begins and where 

 the sequence of the first 15 or 16 hiero- 

 glyphics is known, the cornice has now 

 been restored to the position it originally 

 occupied. 



SOME HIEROGEYPHICS DECIPHERED 



The hieroglyphic inscription presented 

 on the exterior cornice and on the rises 

 of the steps in the three exterior door- 



352 



