INSCRIPTIONS OF THE EARLY PERIOD. 93 
While the point escapes definite proof at this time, it seems not improbable 
that Altar X may formerly have been associated with Stela 17, and Altar 
Y with Stela 16, and finally, that the two former may possibly have ante- 
dated the two latter. 
STELA 9. 
Provenance: Original position unknown. Found in the modern 
cemetery (Group 10) about 1 kilometer southwest of 
the village (Group 9), serving as one of the two stones 
which had supported Stela 8. Destroyed in 1912. 
(See plate 3.) 
Date: 9.6.10.0.0 8 Ahau 13 Pax. 
Text, (a) photograph: Maudslay, 1889-1902, vol. 1, plate 109. 
Spinden, 1913, plate 20, 5. 
(b) drawing: Maudslay, 1889-1902, vol 1, plate 110. 
Morley, 1915, plate 8, B. 
References: Bowditch, 1gora, pp. 136, 137. 
Bowditch, 1910, p. tor and table 29. 
Gordon, 1896, p. 38. 
Maudslay, 1889-1902, vol I of text, p. 68. 
Morley, 1g10a, pp. 196, 198, 199, 204. 
Morley, 1915, pp. 171-173. 
Spinden, 1913, p. 160 and table 1. 
Stela 9 was found lying prostrate in the modern cemetery about 1 kilo- 
meter southwest of the village, where, according to Gordon (1896, p. 38), it had 
been reused in the foundations of Stela 8. Although obviously not in situ 
in this position, it seems safe to assume that it had originally stood nearby. 
It was intact in 1910, when the writer first visited Copan, but when Spinden 
was there two years later he found that, together with Stela 8, it had 
been broken up to form the foundation of an adobe wall then in course of 
construction around the cemetery.1. This unpardonable act of vandalism, 
although greatly to be lamented, is not irreparable, since excellent casts 
exist of both the destroyed monuments. The writer, however, regards 
himself as particularly fortunate in having been able to study the original 
before its destruction. 
Stela 9 was 2.44 meters long, 67 cm. wide, and 39 cm. thick. Maudslay 
says that all four sides had originally been sculptured, but that the carving 
on the fourth side was almost entirely destroyed.” Spinden believes all 
four sides were sculptured, and that the effaced side, which has never been 
reproduced, possibly presented a full-length human figure front view, like 
the one on Stela 18. (See p. 97.) 
The writer, on the other hand, believes all four sides were originally 
sculptured, with glyphs like Stela 15, the style of which it very closely 
resembles, and on the basis of this arrangement of the design it may be 
assigned to Class 3. 
The inscription opens with an Initial Series on one of its broad faces. 
This is unusually clear for such an archaic text, the numerals all being in the 


1Spinden, 1913, p. 160, footnote I. 2Maudslay, 1889-1902, vol. 1 of text, p. 68. 
