is ee 
THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION 85 
tive purposes is reproduced in Fig. 28 with the parts 
lettered and named. It will be noted that the lines of 
interest in this design are either vertical or horizontal, 
although the parts themselves have sinuous outlines. 
Two features of the typical serpent’s body enter widely 
Fig. 29. Upper Part of Serpent Head made into a Fret Orna- 
ment: a, Ixkun; b, Quirigua; c, d, g, Copan; e, Naranjo; f, 
Seibal. 
into the enrichment of all kinds of subjects. One of 
these is the double outline which is derived from the 
line paralleling the base of the serpent’s body and serv- 
ing to mark off the belly region. The second feature 
is the small circle applied in bead-like rows to represent 
scales. The profile serpent head is also seen in scrolls 
and frets that elaborate many details of dress worn by 
the human beings carved on the monuments. ‘The 
front view of the serpent’s head is usually extended to 
fill an oblong panel and is often used to decorate the base 
of a monument or the facade of a building. ‘There are 
several monsters closely connected with the serpent 
that will be discussed as the description proceeds. 
The Human Figure. The human beings pictured 
on Mayan monuments are captives, rulers, and priests 
or worshippers. ‘The captives are poor groveling crea- 
tures, bound by rope, held by the hair or crushed under 
