130 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
pation of the valley was over, and the strong centralizing influence which 
had doubtless been present from the first had finally culminated in the 
foundation of a main group or chief city, toward the embellishment of which 
almost all the future efforts of the tribe, both in sculpture and architecture, 
were henceforth to be directed. 
It should be borne in mind that this extensive building program probably 
absorbed the energies of a large part of the artisan class, and was not carried 
out without corresponding sacrifices in other directions. ‘Thus, it is not 
surprising to find that when the construction of the Great Plaza was at its 
height, probably from 9.13.10.0.0 to 9.14.10.0.0, no stele or monuments of 
any sort, with the possible exception of Stela 5, were erected, at least none 
dating from this period has yet been found. 
A similar hiatus in the monumental sequence seems to have prevailed 
in the Great Period during the building of the Hieroglyphic Stairway 
(9.15.5.0.0 to 9.16.5.0.0) and another during the construction of Temples 
Il, 21a, and 22 (9.16.10.0.0 to 9.17.0.0.0), although in the two latter cases 
a few minor monuments fill the gaps. 
It seems possible, therefore, in view of the foregoing, that the lack of 
monuments which may be referred to the first four and last five hotuns of the 
Middle Period may be explained on the grounds that the artisan class, and 
more particularly the stone-cutters and sculptors, were engaged in other 
work, perhaps in the decoration of buildings then in course of construction, 
There are 18! monuments now known which may be referred to the 
Middle Period. ‘That excavation would materially increase this number 
appears doubtful, since there seems to have been little or no secondary use 
of monuments of the Middle Period; indeed, so far as the larger monuments 
are concerned, all the Middle Period stele are either in situ or have fallen 
just where they originally stood.’ 
In describing the earliest group of monuments of the Middle Period, 7. ¢., 
Stele 2, 3, 10, 12, 13, 19, and 23—only the first two of which are found at the 
Main Structure, and possibly may not be im situ there (see note 2 below)— 
there is some little difficulty in determining the best order of presentation, 
since all seven probably record the same date, namely, 9.11.0.0.0. On the 
basis of stylistic criteria, Spinden arranges them in the following order: 
12, 10, 13, 19, 2, 3, and 23, as the following statement, prepared at the writer’s 
request, will show: 
“Stela 2, 3, 10, 12, 13, 19 and 23 at Copan bear inscribed dates that fall on or 
about Katun 11 of Cycle 9, and it 1s an interesting question what difference, if any, 
they show in style of sculpture. Unfortunately, only Stele 2 and 3 have full-length 
human figures, the other monuments being given over to hieroglyphs. 


1This does not include the altars of Stele I, 6, 13, and 19 and Fragment Y’. These altars are not counted as 
separate monuments in the above total, since each presents an inscription which is a continuation of that on the 
accompanying stela, the two inscriptions in each case being textually one, and the two monuments in each case 
being functionally one. Both the provenance and date of Fragment Y’ are unknown. On stylistic grounds 
it has been referred to the Middle Period, a list of the monuments of which will be found in Appendix IX. 
2 Stela 2 and 3 at the Main Structure may be possible exceptions to this statement. Although they are cer- 
tainly in the same positions which they occupied during the Great Period, it is possible, though hardly prob- 
able, that they may have been removed thither from some earlier outlying groups. 
_ 
