45 



that the soldiers of Cortez, when they buried the 

 idols to conceal them from the view of the na- 

 tives, transported masses of considerable weight 

 very far from the sacellum where they were ori- 

 ginally placed, it is important to mark with pre- 

 cision the spots, in which all the remains of Mex- 

 ican sculpture were found. These nations will 

 become particularly interesting, if a government, 

 anxious to throw light on the remote civilization 

 of the Americans, should make researches by 

 digging round the cathedral in the chief square 

 of the ancient Tenochtitlan, and the market-place 

 Tlatelalco*, to which, in the last days of the 

 siege, the Mexicans withdrew with their house- 

 hold gods (Tepitotan), their sacred books (Teo- 

 amoxtli,) and whatever they had of most 

 value. 



When we cast our eyes on the idol represent- 

 ed in the 29th plate, as it is seen in front 

 (Fig. 1), behind (Fig. 3), on one side (Fig. 2), 

 from above (Fig. 4), and from beneath (Fig. 5), 

 we might be tempted at first to think, that this 

 monument is a teotetl {divine stone), a kind of 

 hety-lum\, ornamented with sculpture, a rock 

 on which hieroglyphic signs are engraved. But 

 when we examine more closely this shapeless 

 mass, we distinguish on the upper part theunit- 



* Gama, Description de las Picdras, etc. p. 2. 

 + Zoega, de Obel. p. 208. 



