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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. long and about 40 ft. high, countingthe decoi^ative zvall hidden by vegetation. All these temples are alike; the characteristic feature aboutthem is the great thickness of the walls, the niches on the sidesof the main apartment, and the gradual narrowing of the edificefrom front to rear. The interior of each consists of two orthree narrow passages running on a parallel line on the sidesand abutting on the front corridor, with large openings andwooden lintels beautifully sculptured. The inner walls of thetemples arc higher than those of the palaces, whilst the vault,also higher, forms a more acute angle. This is owing to thegreat decorative wall crowning the edifice, the weight of whichw(ni)d have been excessive, had not the builder provided for itby thickening the walls, lengthening the vault, and ^narrowingthe apartment. PeTEN, TaVASAL, TlKAL, AND CoiAN. 467 I met no idol, or any object of veneration in these temples,says Maudslay : a pardonable error, since he lind not yet visited
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Al.TAR PANEL IN THE TEMPLE OF THE SUN OF TIKAI. Palenque or Lorillard, which would have enabled him to seein all those pieces of sculptured wood representations of religiousceremonies, which replaced the idols seemingly wanting. 2 H 2 468 The Ancient Cities of the New World. In the open space or court which stands between the temples,are several stones of the nature of stelae or small menhirs;some have their front occupied by a human profile and hiero-glyphics on the sides. On others, both profiles and hieroglyphicswere of very hard cement; the stone had also been smoothedover with it. In this court are likewise several circular altars,facsimiles of tJiosc at Copan. Some are scattered among theruins, but they are generally plain, owing probably to the plasterthat composed the figures having fallen, and left the stone surfacebare. Circular openings of about i foot 9 inches in diameteroccupy the centre of the square or court, giving access tocircular subterraneous chambers from 6 feet t

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