292 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
high. ‘The ends are sculptured with death’s heads, two on each altar, and 
the long sides with glyphs. The tops and bottoms are plain. (See figure 
44 for the general scheme of assemblage and plate 22, a and J, for detailed 
drawings of the inscriptions.) 



Fic. 44.—Drawing showing assemblage of the several 
sections of Altar B’. 

In 1915 the writer found all three parts of Altar B’, but only the middle 
section of Altar C’. The end shown in the Peabody Museum photograph 
of 1891, a cast of which is fortunately preserved there, No. C. 2662, has 
since disappeared, the writer fears wantonly destroyed. | 
This end of the Court of the Hieroglyphic Stairway has suffered much 
from vandalism. Under the grateful shade of the large trees left standing 
along its southern and western sides, parties of pilgrims on their way to or 
from the famous shrine of the Black Christ at Esquipulas, Guatemala, 
tarry here for their midday meal. Fires are lighted which crack the sculp- 
tures. Idle hands hack at the carvings with machetes, and irreparable loss 
speedily follows. Another source of destruction is the use of these blocks 
for building material in the village, fortunately 2 kilometers distant, else 
nothing would have been left at the Main Structure. However, in spite 
of this distance, there was abundant evidence in 1916 that blocks had been 
broken up and taken away from this court recently. It is not surprising, 
therefore, to find that both ends of Altar C’ have disappeared. . 
As assembled in plate 22, aand b, the two middle sections are doubtfully 
placed. That shown as the middle section of Altar C’ may have been the 
middle section of Altar B’ and vice versa. Both these blocks have their ends 
dressed smooth by pecking, so that they would fit closely against the end-pieces. 
Although these altars are very similar, yet slight differences in the treat- 
ment of the death’s heads, the hair, ear-plugs, etc., prove that the two ends 
shown as belonging together in plate 22, a, are different from the death’s heads 
on the two ends of Altar C’, plate 22, b. 
In Maudslay’s photograph the left side of Altar B’ shows six glyph-blocks; 
as found in 1915 only two are left, four having been broken off since. Allow- 
ing 56 cm. for the length of this end, the same as for the other, and allowing 
