RUINS OF MENCfflfi. 45 



buildings on the higher levels appears to have been between F and G, where the stair- 

 ways are clearly marked. At the eastern end of the slope are three fallen stelae, carved 

 in low relief on one side, and some circular altars, all much damaged. 



A ground-plan of as much as could be made out of House E, without removing the 

 fallen masonry, is given on Plate LXXVII., and photographs of the lintels of this 

 house are given on Plates LXXXI. & LXXXII. 



The lintels of House F were almost completely buried at the time of my visit ; they 

 were dug out the following year by Gorgonio Lopez, and are now in the British Museum 

 (see Plates LXXXIIL, LXXXIV., & LXXXV.). 



House G is almost completely ruined. Photographs and drawings of two carved 

 lintels from this house are given on Plates LXXXVL, LXXXVIL, LXXXVIIL, & 

 LXXXIX. It is the lintel figured on Plate LXXXVL which I removed at the time of 

 my visit. It had fallen from its original position face downwards, and the carving on 

 the under surface was fortunately uninjured, but the hieroglyphic inscription which 

 had been carved along the outer side had been destroyed. On the lintel over the next 

 doorway this outer inscription was well preserved, and is shown on Plate LXXXIX. 



A ground-plan of House H is given on Plate LXXVII. It was in this house that 

 M. Charnay and his assistant took up their quarters. A photograph of the exterior of 

 the house is given on Plate XC, a. Two circular altars stood in front of the house. 

 There are niches in the outer wall between the doorways, probably for the reception of 

 stucco figures. The door-lintels are not ornamented. The upper part of the outer wall 

 had been decorated in a manner which will be described when dealing with Temple K. 

 The back of the house seemed to be built into the slope of the hill. Leading down 

 from the outer chamber are two passages with steps communicating with an inner and 

 lower chamber which appeared to have been used for interments. The house contained 

 some raised stone benches. 



A ground-plan of House J is given on Plate LXXVII. The stone lintels are not 

 ornamented. The four houses to the westward on the same level as House J do not 

 present any marked features of interest ; the two on raised foundations are almost 

 completely ruined, the other- two have undecorated stone lintels. 



Temple K (Plates XC, h, to XCIV.) is the building in which I lived during my stay 

 at the ruins. A ground-plan is given on Plate LXXVII. It is a long narrow structure 

 73 feet in length and 17 feet broad, and the height from the ground to the top of the 

 superstructure is about 42 feet. Each of the three doorways has a stone lintel carved 

 in rather low relief (see Plates XCII. to XCIV.). The outer surface of the wall up to 

 the projecting cornice showed no sign of sculptured decoration, but it had evidently 

 been covered with a coating of coloured plaster. Above the projecting cornice the front 

 of the building had been elaborately decorated, but the sides and back appear to have 

 been left without ornament. 



On the frieze, between the two cornices (see Plates XC 1 ., b, & XCL), there are three 



