INSCRIPTIONS OF THE EARLY PERIOD. 97 
grouped the four fragments together, calling all parts of the same monu- 
ment Stela 16. (See p. 60.) As previously stated, a study of these four 
fragments revealed the fact that instead of being parts of one and the same 
monument, they are divided among three monuments—two stele (18 and 
20) and one altar (Q’). 
The single fragment of Stela 18 preserved is 69 cm. long, 67 cm. wide, 
and 43 cm. thick. The front was sculptured with a human figure—the 
earliest example of the front presentation of the human form yet found at 
Copan,' and the back and sides with glyphs. On the basis of this new 
arrangement of the design, therefore, Stela 18 has been assigned to a new 
class, 4. 
This fragment came from near the top of the monument, although, as 
will appear presently, the top itself, a piece about half a meter long, is still 
missing, the upper edge of the piece recovered being about half a meter 
below the former top of the stela. 
Spinden, to whom the discovery of this important monument is due, 
has prepared the following well-considered description of it for use here: 
“*Stela 18 is the designation given to a fragment that now lies under the eaves 
of an inside porch or workshop of a house in Copan village. The house belongs to 
Antonio Guerra? and is situated on the south side of the street that runs west from 
the southwest corner of the plaza. 
“The realistic design shows a grotesque head-dress similar to those worn by 
human figures on other Copan monuments. ‘The sculpture is in very low, flat 
relief and is so badly battered that all the details can not be made out. The gro- 
tesque face is evidently intended for a jaguar and is decorated with small circles. 
The round eyes have the lids half closed and under these lids is a design very like 
the Venus symbol. The top of the open mouth is at the bottom of the sculptured 
block and one may see the two large canine teeth between which are four incisor 
teeth. What may be part of the curve of the usual spiral fang appears at each side 
of themouth. Thenose is rather unusual in shape, but at the top of it is the charac- 
teristic divided'scroll. The design above this jaguar head may, perhaps, be regarded 
as its head-dress. In the center is a heart-shaped object, from the sides of which 
issue more or less flame-shaped scrolls. The design as a whole shows general simi- 
larity in assemblage of details to the head-dresses on Stelz E, 7, P, and 2, although 
simpler than any of them. For purposes of comparison the head-dress on Stela 2 
may best be used, since it also consists of a jaguar face with a heart-shaped object 
above. To be sure, this heart-shaped object is modified by a grotesque face at the 
bottom and an open hand at the top, but the fundamental likeness is there. The 
lateral ornaments of Stela 2 also recall those on Stela 18. Other details on Stela 2 
are in addition on the new monument. 
“Tt is certain that we have in this fragment the earliest example with a human 
figure so far described at Copan. It is a delicate question whether it 1s earlier or 
later than Stela 15, which has hieroglyphs on all four sides. The earliest dated 


1The small figures presented on the long sides of Altars X and Y are possibly earlier, but they are much smaller 
and in profile and also the archaic statues found under them in the foundations of Stele 5 and 4, figure 67, a 
and J, respectively. 
2When Spinden first visited Copan (1912) this house was in the possession of Antonio Guerra. It subsequently 
passed into the hands of Domingo Hernandez, as already noted, p. 60, 
