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SOUTHWEST WING 



Ancient Monuments of Mexico and Central America 



Continuing west from the South Pavilion containing the astronomical 

 clock, we pass through the West Corridor which is reserved for the exhibits 

 of the Department of Anatomy and Physiology and the Department of 

 Public Health and enter the Southwest Wing devoted chiefly to ancient 

 monuments from Mexico and Central America. 



From the entrance to the middle of the hall are collections from South 

 America and Yucatan. The rear of the hall contains material from 

 Mexico. The reproductions illustrate chiefly the sculpture of Mayan and 

 Nahuatl cultures and are the gift of the Duke of Loubat. The material 

 of the Mayan culture comprises plaster casts of the ancient stone monu- 

 ments, or stelae and altar stones, the stone and obsidian tools used to 

 carve them, stone sculptures found in excavations and ruined buildings of 

 the ancient city of Copan, and pottery of various designs. At the left of 

 the entrance are two cases of pottery, jade and stone work from Costa 

 Rica and Panama, evidently marking a lower type of civilization. 



The casts of the large stone pillars are taken from the ancient stela?, 

 and which probably were erected as monuments and some of which are 

 standing even to-day. Returning to the center of the hall 

 and going back to the east entrance, we see reproductions of 

 stelae from Copan arranged in order from the oldest and crudest form to a 



39 



Stelae 



