THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION 133 



later. The carving throughout this period is crude and 

 angular. The profile presentation of the human figure 

 Is better handled by the early artists than is front view 

 presentation. The principal conventions of Mayan art 

 seem to have been fixed during the protohistoric period 

 and the serpent was much used as a motive of decoration 

 during the early period. It seems likely that the 

 archaic pottery art of the arid highlands, discussed in 

 the previous chapter, was still being made when Mayan 

 art began its remarkable rise. The transitional types 

 as regards the modeling of the human face and figure 

 are doubtless to be assigned to the first three centuries 

 of the Christian Era. 



Middle Period 



373 A.D. to 472 A.D.— 9.10.0.0.0 to 9.15.0.0.0 

 Some of the most beautiful works of art belong to the 

 middle period. While archaism did not actually dis- 

 appear till the end of this period there is a certain 

 purity of style and straightforwardness of presentation 

 about many of these early sculptures. Flamboyancy 

 is not apparent. At ( \>pan the Great Mound was begun 

 during this period and this enormous undertaking doubt - 



absorbed so much energy that few stehe were set 

 up. The besl series of monuments from the middle 

 period are seen at Naranjo and Piedras Negras. 



Great Period 



\:-2 A.I), to 620 A.D. 



A short brilliant period followed in which many cities 



flourished. In addition to the cities already ment Ioned 



there were Quirigua. Ixkun, Seibal. Holmul. Xakum. 



Cancuen, Yaxchilan, Palenque, etc. The art passes 



through -nmc interesting changes, becoming more com- 

 plex in certain features and less complex in others. The 



