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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,temples, in times of war, became real strongholds, on whosegigantic terraces the last desperate conflict was waged againstan invading and victorious foe. The struggle might last sometime, but was always attended with heavy loss, for eachterrace had to be carried against men resolved to die. Inthe assault on the great temple in Mexico, the Spaniards wereseveral times repulsed before they could get possession of thefour esplanades of the pyramid ; and when these were takena fierce encounter followed on the upper platform, which * That it was a temple may be inferred from Landa, sec. vi. p. 34, wherehe says that the main e.difice at Chichen was called Cukulcan, after a princewho had come from the west. The Ancient Cities of the New World. only ended with the utter annihilation of the Aztecs, who wereeither slaughtered on the spot or hurled down the sides ofthe pyramid. The only decoration of the western and southern sidesconsists in two beautiful cornices, while the interior of the long
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ISOKTUEKN IACADE Ol< THE NUNNERY Ul ClUCHEN-lTZA. corridor shows no trace of ornamentation, save over the doors,where gigantic warriors arc sculptured. The principal ornorthern fa9ade must have been very striking when Landa sawit in 1560. Our photograph shows its dilapidated condition, butit can easily be reconstructed. It consists of a portico supportedby two massive columns connected by wooden lintels, resembling

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