14 CHICHEN ITZA. 



a buttress-wall about 2\ feet tbick, which rises to the height of 10 feet, and has been 

 added to strengthen the structure. At the height of 27 feet from the ground is a 

 string course 1 foot 6 inches high, which projects 1 foot, and above this rises a highly 

 decorated frieze, 3 feet 6 inches high, composed of cross-bar work alternating with 

 grotesque heads with projecting trunk-like noses ; immediately above these trunks is 

 usually inserted a small human or grotesque face, carved on a single stone, similar to 

 those shown in Vol. I. Plate X., a (Copan). A notched cornice, 1 foot 6 inches high, 

 completes the elevation. 



The basement, as we are told by Stephens, served as a quarry for the builders of the 

 hacienda, the result being that a considerable portion of the south-west end has been 

 removed entirely (Plates VI. and VII., a), and that a large breach (Plate V.) has been 

 made on the west side of the great stairway and tunnels driven in, which are indicated 

 by dotted lines on the Plan. 



A fine stairway, about 55 feet broad, of 49 steps, arranged at the steep angle of 

 51°-5, leads to the terrace on the top of the basement. A balustrade of stonework a 

 little over 3 feet broad on each side of the stairway supports a number of curious 

 ornaments (one to every two steps), which must have closely resembled the trunk-like 

 noses so frequently repeated elsewhere ; unfortunately only a small number of these 

 ornaments can be seen, and not one is entire. The most perfect I could find was 

 broken off and lying at the foot of the stairway, and is figured in Plate III., but the 

 dotted portion may have curved outwards. It is from this example and other slight 

 indications that the restoration has been made in the section on Plate III. 



The position of the range of buildings supported by this basement, and the breadth 

 of the terrace which surrounds it, are clearly shown in the Plans and Photographs. 



The range of buildings contains seven chambers unconnected with each other, and 

 each opening on to the terrace. The lintels of the doorways facing south are of plain 

 stone, but those of the doorways at the east and west ends, and also of the two 

 chambers facing north, are carved on the outside and on the under surface with 

 hieroglyphic inscriptions. 



The three recesses on the north side, which correspond with the three central 

 doorways on the south, also have carved lintels ; and there can be no doubt that they 

 were originally doorways which gave access to a room corresponding to the long 

 chamber on the south side, and that this room was purposely blocked up in order to 

 afford a secure foundation for a building to be erected above it. The inscriptions on 

 the lintels are all much worn, and in some cases almost obliterated. Drawings of all 

 that can still be made out are given on Plates XII. and XIII. 



A small portion of the inner walls and the spring of the roof of the closed chamber 

 can be seen where some stones and rubble have been removed, and the probable shape 

 of the room is marked with a dotted line on the Plan. 



This blocking up of lower chambers, when upper storeys were subsequently added, 



