Identifier: cu31924028712879 (find matches)
Title: Introduction to the study of North America archaeology
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Thomas, Cyrus, 1825-1910
Subjects: Indians of North America Indians of Mexico Indians of Central America
Publisher: Cincinnati, The Robert Clarke Company
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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cor-nices, trimmings and ornamentation of cut stone, andthe hearting or filling of the pyramids, terraces andwalls of rubble, as was usual in the entire region.Mortar was generally used in laying the stone. Al-though such advanced art is exhibited in these works, Monuments of Southern Mexico. 271 no traces of stairways have been discovered. Thegeneral ground pkms of the buildings are seen in theiigure (88). The svalls are massive, being usuallyover four feet in thickness and carried up vertically,and faced with dressed stone or plaster ; the innerfaces are plastered or partly or wholly covered withgeometric mosaic work. The buildings are all only asingle story in height, the ceilings and roofs fiat, hav-ing apparently been supported chiefly by Avoodenbeams, the arch not being used, perhaps not knownto the builders. Where the rooms or halls were ofconsiderable width, a row of pillars or columns wasplanted along the middle, in order to furnish addi-tional support to the roof. (Fig. 89.)
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Fig. 89. Kouiu with coluiuns, .Mitla. The surfaces of the walls were uniformly coveredAvithin and without with some decorative finish.Three methods of embellishment were employed—painting, sculpture and mosaic. Mr. Holmes, whose 272 Study of North American Archaeology. description is chiefly followed here, notices as some-thing remarkable the absence of sculptured life-forms.Sculpture in its more restricted and commonly ac-cepted sense seems to have been tabooed as completelyas if a priestly edict had been promulgated, foreverprohibiting it. The absence of sculptured life-formsis especially remarkable, since such forms were mostextensively embodied in other branches of Mitlanwork. The peculiar feature of these structures which hasattracted most attention is the fretwork decoration ofthe walls. These designs are all purely geometrical,yet are varied and attractive, and are arranged inpanels covering the exterior surface of the buildings,and on interior surfaces are in panels or conti

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