308 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
extended along the entire south side of the Court of the Hieroglyphic Stair- 
way. 
Maudslay seems to have entertained the idea that this stairway divided 
toward the top into three sections, each flight narrowing as it ascended, the 
two outer ones leading to the terraces to the east and west of Temple 11 
respectively and the middle one to a higher elevation, the substructure of 
the temple proper.* 
Gordon, however, mentions but one stairway at this point, the western 
and eastern ends of which lead to the terraces at the west and east ends of 
the temple respectively, and the middle part to the temple itself.2 The 
upper part of this stairway is now completely hidden by the débris fallen 
from the north fagade of the temple, though it appears probable that its 
steps extend across under this material, and that all belong to a single stair- 
way. At the base of the substructure, and directly in line with the middle 
of the doorway of the temple above, stands Stela N, the correlation of the 
two being perfectly clear. This temple is one of the largest and most beau- 
tiful at Copan, the substructure from which it rises being 30 meters above the 
level of the court below. Gordon believes it was a tower of considerable 
height, because of the great quantity of stone lying around its base in every 
direction. The writer, however, does not incline to this view, and Mauds- 
lay, who partially excavated the building, says nothing in his description 
in support of such a conclusion. 
Ascending the broad and spacious stairway on the north side, the three 
top steps® are found to present the double-headed dragon associated with 
human figures seated cross-legged and holding glyphs in their outstretched 
hands. ‘There is one figure on the top step and three on the second step. 
Only one block of the third step is zm situ. The right end of this shows a 
bar-and-dot coefficient of 13. None of the glyphs are decipherable. (See the 
Peabody Museum photographs Nos. 1896 and 1897.) ‘The temple proper 
rises from the very edge of the substructure. At present no exterior walls 
are visible, although excavation would doubtless disclose their bases. The 
vestibule or northern doorway is 2.77 meters wide at the front and was 
probably not more than 1.5 or 2 meters back to the offset, which narrows 
it to a width of 1.89 meters. This back part is 1.83 meters deep and gives 
into a long, narrow, transverse outer gallery, which is upward of 30 meters 
long, though only 1.22 meters wide. (See plate 6.) 
Opposite the outer doorway there is another in the back wall of the 
gallery, its threshold being 46 cm. above the floor-level of the latter. The 
riser of this step, a beautifully sculptured panel 5.5 meters long and 46 
cm. high, was removed by Maudslay to the South Kensington Museum 
in 1885. The doorway to which it leads is 1.5 meters wide and gives into 

1 Maudslay, 1889-1902, vol. 1 of text, p. 21. 
* Gordon, 1896, p. 22. 
’ These three steps may not be part of the stairway proper, but may be set back about a meter from the top 
step, leading to a low platform on which Temple 11 may stand. The construction is doubtful here, owing to the 
advanced state of ruin. 
