File:The ancient cities of the New World - being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882 (1887) (14759959696).jpg

Identifier: ancientcitiesofn00char (find matches)
Title: The ancient cities of the New World : being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Charnay, Désiré, 1828-1915
Subjects: Indians of Mexico Indians of Central America
Publisher: London : Chapman and Hall
Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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ard, where monumentsof the same kind, and the authority of ancient writers, will furnishdata to strengthen our theory. It may not be irrelevant to addthat neither temples nor palaces were provided with doors, andthat stuff or matting curtains were used for all apertures, indicatedby the large and small rings fixed on the pilasters on each side ofthe entrances, and the whole length of the inner cornice. We knowthat neither the Toltecs nor Aztecs had doors to their houses,which seems to show great respect for property, or as Clavigero Palenque. Temples. 253 puts it, the severity of the laws was a powerful preservative.What he says of Mexico is equally applicable to Palenque : Houses had no doors, for they deemed that dwellings weresufficiently guarded by the stringency of the laws; and the people,not to be overlooked by their neighbours, had curtains to all theopenings, while resounding pottery, or some other rattling object,was suspended over the entrance to warn the inmates whenever a
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SCULPTURED SLABS OF SANCTUARY, IN THE TEMPLES OF PALENQUE. Stranger raised- the curtain to pass into the house. No one wasallowed admittance who had not the owners full permission to doso, unless the degree of relationship or necessity justified theliberty. Notwithstanding the deplorable circumstances in which Ihad to work, I was able to take more than 325 square feetof impressions ; and here I take much pleasure in recording the * Clavigero, Hist. Antig. de Mejico y de su Conquista, tome l lib. vii. p. 245. 2 54 The Ancient Cities of the New World. debt of gratitude I owe Mr. de Laval for his admirable invention.which by means of paper instead of plaster makes the taking ofimpressions in distant countries comparatively easy, when thedifficulty of transport and the expense of plaster would, in ourcase, have placed the reproduction of reliefs and inscriptionsentirely beyond our power. As it was, my impressions, which,had I used plaster, would have weighed at least 30,000 lb., onlyweigh

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