Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo14amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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End \new of the North Temple of the Ball Court. The entke side surface of the North Temple, including the sloping walls of the vault and the rotmd columns in front, is sculptured in low relief is decorated with mask panels, and has the front wall elevated one story above the roof, an architectural device known as the flying fa9ade. This flying facade bears three mask panels which differ from each other and which are obviously made up of reused material. West of the Monjas is the Akat'cib, the House of the Dark Writing, so called on account of some hieroglyphic inscrip- tions. North of the Monjas is the Cara- col or Snail, a curious circular tower with a winding stairway. Still farther to the north is the Casa Colorada or Red House, \ an admirably preserved building with a long outer chamber and three inner ones. The flying fa- cade of this building is very pleasing with its mask panels flanked by frets. Over the cen- I ter of the roof rises another wall pierced by windows. This archi- tectural detail, commonly called >; •, the roof comb or roof crest, is found in this single instance at C'hichen Itza although often seen in other Maya cities. Continuing in the same north- erly direction we encounter a temple upon a pyramid very similar to the Castillo, but small- er, which has been named the Temple of the High Priest's Grave. This rather fanciful title comes from a deep shaft on the floor leading down to a small burial chamber. In conjunction with this temple are some small platforms which are believed to have been used as stages for dramas or religious ceremonies. Several of these platforms, having stairways on the four sides and sometimes sculptured panels, are found at Chichen. Itza,

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