File:The ancient cities of the New World - being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882 (1887) (14782689852).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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lard with this temple, itis seen that the frieze which surmounts the plain wall at the basemust have had the same kind of cemented figures, whilst theground plan at Tikal shows the arrangement of its monumentsto have been similar with those at Lorillard. Thus we find atTikal a rdsutnd of all that which we noticed and studied in thevarious cities we have visited ; but here we have a new featurein the altars, which stand in the open air, whilst the stelae recallthe votive pillars at Teotihuacan which develop in monoliths atCopan and Ouirigua. This analogy is plainly seen in our drawing of one of thesestelae, representing a beautifully sculptured figure, in high relief,with the usual dress of priests, grandees, and idols. A seriesof katunes, like those at Palenque, Lorillard, and Copan, areranged on the edge of the stone. Unfortunately this monumentis in a very dilapidated condition ; but for the head, which is * Maudslny, l.xplorations in Guatemala. PetIX, Tavasal, Tikal, and Copan. 469
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TEMPLE AXD STELA OF TIKAL (FROM ALFRED MAUDSLAV). wanting, it would have been quite as remarkable as our highrelief at Lorlllard (see end of chapter). If we come to details, a first glance will show that the superb 470 The Ancient Cities of the New World. bas-relief on wood in the next page, is a facsimile of the panelsto the rear of the altars at Palenque. The dimensions are almostthe same, 6 feet high by 7 feet 6 inches wide ; it also representstwo fio-ures in high relief, having the peculiar attributes generallyseen on American sculptures. The hieroglyphics on the sides areadmirably well preserved, and do not betoken a very ancient epoch,for they are just like those at Palenque, Lorillard, and Copan. Unlike similar reliefs at Pa-lenque, where the idol formedthe central subject, here it is re-placed by a standing human figure,having an elaborate head-dresswith fantastic ornaments and hugefeathers, recalling Tabasco andYucatan. In his hand is carrieda sceptre topped by a birds tail,a

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