the ruined cities of yucatan
the mayas (pronounced my-yah) were an ancient people of whom little is known. they dwelt on the broad plains of yucatan and central america, and built many cities, or governmental centres, for no ruins of private dwellings have yet been found. the groups of buildings resemble in no way our cities of the present day. they consist everywhere of temples and palaces of the reigning princes or caciques, of public buildings scattered about apparently at random, covering a vast area, with cemented roads and gardens intervening. the centres of the towns were occupied by the public squares and temples; around these were the palaces of the priests and lords, and the outskirts were evidently allotted to the lower classes. religion and government seem to have gone hand in hand among these primitive mexicans. the maya civilization had reached a height unexcelled by any people of[439] the western hemisphere prior to the coming of the white man. they were skilled in architecture, in sculpture and in writing. the priests had developed the science of astronomy to a considerable extent. they had studied with some success the solar system. they had developed a calendar system and created a chronology. so far as these chronological accounts have been worked out they run back three thousand years or more. they reckoned time much as we do, from a fixed date, namely, the birth of christ. the later dates of the quirigua inscriptions are generally believed to be somewhere about the beginning of the christian era.
the oldest of the ruins of the maya race is said to be that of copan, which is situated in honduras, just across the border from guatemala. it also seems to have been the southernmost point of their migration, as tula was the northerly terminus of their wanderings. then comes quirigua, in guatemala, which is one of the most remarkable and inexplicable of all the ruins. tradition sheds no light whatever on these ruins of copan or quirigua. the mysterious silence that surrounds these forms a void in the history of the human race. there are doubtless other ruins awaiting the traveller[440] and explorer in the wilderness around lake peten, in the northern part of guatemala. the founder of the race was izamat-ul. “to him were brought,” says an old writer, “the sick, the halt and the dead, and he healed and restored them all to life by the touch of his hand.” hence he was generally known as the miraculous hand, and in inscriptions is frequently represented by a hand only.
crumbling ruins of the ancient mexican civilization
in the extreme southeastern part of mexico, on a small peninsula known as yucatan, is a section which was at one time the abode of this progressive and migrating race known generally among anthropologists as the mayas. this distant province deserves far more mention than it usually receives from passing travellers. though possessing few natural attractions yucatan is a never-ending source of interest for the anthropologist and archeologist. the whole peninsula is a vast limestone formation, with little or no surface water. rain is infrequent in most parts, and one might travel for miles without crossing a river or brook, or even chancing upon a spring. in most sections of this peninsula the water is at least seventy feet below the surface of the ground. at the present time windmills aid the inhabitants of that section where the henequen,[441] from which binder twine is made, is raised, but centuries ago such facilities were unknown. there were, however, in some places natural wells which reached down to the depth of what seem to be underground rivers, and it was near these that several ancient cities were located. at least a score of these ancient cities have been explored, of which the best known and most important are palenque, uxmal and chichen itza. it is known that since the spaniards first set foot on this peninsula many monuments and practically entire cities have disappeared. at one time, a contemporary writer asserts, there were destroyed in yucatan five thousand idols of various forms and dimensions, thirteen huge stones which were used as altars, twenty-two smaller stones of various shapes, one hundred and ninety-seven manuscripts of all kinds, including twenty-seven written on deer skins.
chichen itza, which is generally interpreted to mean “the mouth of the wells of the itzas,” seems to have been the leading city, and it was located near two of the largest natural wells, which are immense natural pits with perpendicular sides. it is probable that these phenomena attracted the mayas in their northern migration. as the tribes quarrelled different[442] factions separated from the original body and established new cities as capitals. thus chichen itza came into being. on this desolate soil,
“ ... buried ’mid trees,
upspringing there for sunless centuries,
behold a royal city, vast and lone,
lost to each race, to all the world unknown,
like famed pompeii, ’neath her lava bed.
...
at every step some palace meets the eye,
some figure frowns, some temple courts the sky.”
before cortez landed on mexican soil the star of these ancient peoples had already set. their oldest cities had their birth so far back in the twilight of time that not even tradition was able to tell the history of the tribes, the causes that led to their decay or the time of their disaster. some traditions were told to the spaniards, but they are of such uncertain origin that very little credence can be placed in them. upon the walls are sculptures which speak to us in an unknown language; hieroglyphics, and the chiselled types of a people long since departed. the hieroglyphics would probably explain all, but no interpreting key has yet been discovered to give an explanation to the writings. some authorities assert, however,[443] that chichen itza was inhabited at the time of the conquest. a spaniard by the name of aquilar was wrecked on this coast and lived with a powerful cacique for several years, but he left behind him no written memoirs. at any rate, it is known that the spanish forces occupied this place for at least two years. at first the submission of the natives was complete, but after a time they rallied from their stupor, tiring of ministering to the insatiable wants of their conquerors, and much severe fighting followed.
of the two great wells at chichen itza one was used for the general water supply, the cenote grande, and the other was reserved for religious use exclusively, the cenote sacra. picturesque indeed must have been the throngs of white-robed women who peopled the steps of the cenote grande at all hours of the day to fetch water for household purposes. they probably carried double-handled urns on their hips or shoulders just as their descendants do at this present day. from far and near all over yucatan pilgrimages were made to the sacred well, which was on the outskirts of the city, just as pilgrimages are made to-day to holy shrines by catholics and mohammedans. it was this that gave the city its holy character.[444] offerings of many kinds were made to the deities. it is said that in time of drouth offerings of precious stones and other valuables were thrown into it, and in specially protracted cases human beings were thrown into it as sacrifices. even after the time of the spanish conquest there are recorded instances of pilgrimages to the sacred well for the purpose of sacrificing slaves to relieve a drouth. these victims were supposed to live even after they had disappeared beneath the sacred waters. a spanish writer of the time asserts that this was done as late as 1560.
the chichen itza of the olden times, filled with pilgrims from far and near, would scarcely be recognized in the place of to-day. the jungle has gradually crept its way into the very holy of holies. columns have been overthrown, and some of the structures have been almost lost in a tangle of thorns and creepers. even in the last half century the destruction and disintegration has been very noticeable. to reach the place it is necessary to ride about fifteen miles over a rough and wearisome road. all around lie buried in thick jungle ruins of palaces and other buildings. pyramid-like structures seem to have been one[445] of the favourite forms of building. the most imposing of these on this site rises sixty-eight feet above the plain, and each side is almost one hundred and seventy-five feet in length, the whole covering about an acre of ground. this structure is called the castillo, although it was really a temple. it is made up of nine terraces of faced masonry, narrowing toward the top, each one elaborately panelled to relieve the monotony. on each side there is a broad stairway, with a flight of ninety steps, with stone balustrades, which are generally carved to represent reptiles. a stone building almost forty feet square crowns the summit. the northern fa?ade must have been very striking before time and the destroying hand of man wrought their work. there were no doors on any of the buildings, and no traces of hinges have been found. at the western base of the pyramid is the walk that leads to the sacred well. it is believed that on the top of this pyramid the sacred rites of the priests of their faith were performed, and it is said that the sacrificial victims were led down these stairways, then along the causeway and finally cast into the sacred well. it is easy for the imagination to picture the scene in all its splendour of white-robed priests, smoking censors,[446] and—saddest of all—the victims bedecked with garlands of flowers.
there are ruins of colonnades, courts, buildings and other structures of which many columns are standing at chichen itza, and it has been called “the city of a thousand columns” by some writers. one of the most important monuments is the nun’s palace, as it is called. it is not so large as others, but contains a greater number of apartments. it is said to have been the custom of these people to educate girls of noble birth to the service of the gods, on their attaining the age of twelve or thirteen. their service was similar to that of the vestal virgins, although the vows were not always perpetual. it was their duty to keep the altar supplied with fresh flowers and to sweep the temples. one group of structures is called the ball court, as it is believed to have been used for a game similar to the modern basket ball. it consists of two perpendicular parallel walls from north to south thirty-two feet high, three hundred and twenty-five feet long and one hundred and thirteen feet apart. the ends of this quadrangle are each occupied by a small temple. in the centre of each wall, about fifteen feet from the ground, there are two stone discs with holes through[447] the centre, which seem to have had a part in this or some other game. the vast proportions of this court, or tlachtle, would seem to indicate that this game was very popular with the yucatecos. some of the well preserved ruins present beautiful sculptured fa?ades, to which names have been given because of the fancied resemblance to something. for instance, one has been called the ruins of the “house of the tigers,” because of a frieze of stalking tigers divided by richly fringed shells; another round building, known as el caracol, “the snail,” is the best preserved building at chichen; “the red house,” and the “house of the dark writing,” are still other structures. in all directions for several miles the bush is strewn with ruins. crumbling walls and courts overgrown with jungle growth are encountered on every side, but because of the disintegration these once splendid palaces and temples are now little more than shapeless masses of crumbled masonry. the human figures seen on these monuments have the usual types of the toltec carvings on the plateaus of mexico. the total area covered by these ruins has been estimated by some investigators as high as ten square miles.
the next largest and most interesting city[448] of ruins is known as uxmal, which was the capital of the tutal xiu branch of the mayas. this city is located between low ranges of hills, perhaps one hundred miles from chichen itza. when seen from an eminence a dozen or more imposing structures of white limestone are presented to view. this city, no doubt, supplied a very important part in the early history of yucatan—at least if one is to judge from its size. it is believed that this was the original city of the toltecs. a dozen or more imposing structures of considerable size still stand here that can be identified, in addition to the large numbers of ruins which can scarcely be outlined. the most notable sanctuary of uxmal, which is now known as the “house of the dwarf,” is over fifty feet high, and also surmounts a steep-sloped pyramid one hundred feet in height. two stairways on opposite sides lead to this building. it is so named because the natives say it was built by a savage dwarf in a single night. long after the city was abandoned this temple was held in especial veneration. the spanish priests used to find offerings of cocoa and copal on it, and they attributed this to devil worship. two lines of parallel walls, parts of which are still standing, enclose a court or[449] quadrangle, which is similar to the ball court at chichen. the group of buildings around it encloses more than one hundred rooms. all of the buildings seem to have been built on low platforms or terraces. there is also at this place a high terrace, or platform, that covers over three acres of ground, and on which is a second and a third terrace, upon the latter of which is the ruin of a building known as the governor’s palace. this building is one of the finest samples of early american architecture still extant. it stands at an elevation of forty-four feet above the plains, and commands a splendid view of the city. its exterior walls are decorated with sculptured masonry, in the making of which it is estimated there are upward of twenty thousand sculptured pieces of stone. the building is three hundred and twenty-two feet long, and is divided into three parts by two arcades which pass clear through. it is built entirely of stone without ornament to a height of ten feet, then comes a cornice, above which is a wall that is a bewildering maze of beautiful sculpture. this frieze has a row of colossal heads, and is divided into panels which are alternately filled with grecques in high relief, and diamond or lattice work. all the lintels of the building[450] here are of wood in an excellent state of preservation.
an old church
at uxmal there is a building called the “house of turtles,” because of a row of turtles used as ornaments in the upper cornice. it is the freest from ornamentation of any of the structures. the turtles are found sculptured at various places along the cornice. the “house of the pigeons” is the name of another building, because of the fancied resemblance to a dove-cote. the crest of the roof is perforated with many rectangular openings—but the resemblance for which the name is given is very fanciful. at this site there were none of the natural wells described at the other city, but these people constructed some natural reservoirs a short distance from the town in which the rainfall was collected, and which gave the necessary water supply for the people. furthermore, some of the buildings seem to have had subterranean cisterns of large size under them. heavy rainfall occurs here for about one-half the year, but during the other half there is practically no rainfall, and water becomes very scarce and valuable. the so-called “house of the nuns” is the largest building and bears the richest and most intricate carving at uxmal. it is composed of four[451] buildings, the largest of which is two hundred and seventy-nine feet in length. the four buildings enclose a great court, with sides two hundred and fourteen and two hundred and fifty-eight feet in length, the entrance to which is through a high triangular-arched gateway. this building originally contained no less than eighty-eight apartments of various sizes. a number of writers believe that many of these buildings at uxmal are comparatively recent, because of the appearance of the stone and the well-preserved character of the wood used in the construction.
these structures are only a part of the ruins that still remain, for the jungle on either side hides the remains of what were once imposing buildings. many of these have been literally torn asunder by trees, whose roots have forced themselves between the stones and pried them apart. no doubt this city once housed many thousands of people, but to-day it is without inhabitants. the pomp and glory of former times have disappeared; and all is silent save for the birds that nest in the trees and bushes.
the third city of ruins, palenque, is situated at a considerable distance south and west of the two just described, and not far from san juan bautista. palenque, according to charney,[452] was a holy city—a place for pilgrimage. in the carvings neither sword, spear, shield nor arrow appear. the representations are all of peaceful subjects, usually a personage standing with a sceptre and with prostrated acolytes at his feet. from the expression one would judge that they were worshippers, and not slaves or captives. their expression is always peaceful and serene and that of worshippers and believers. the city is built in the form of an amphitheatre, on the lowest slope of the lofty cordilleras beyond. its high position affords a magnificent view over the forest-covered plain below stretching as far as the sea. in all the structures the builder levelled out the ground in narrow terraces, on which artificial elevations of pyramidal forms were reared, and the hillside was faced with hewed stones. at palenque there are in all ten buildings in view, each one crowning an elevation artificially made. as one enters the grounds there are several buildings to the right and left, but directly in front are the remains of the palace. at one time this building has been very large and imposing. remains of a broad flight of steps that led to the imposing entrance corridor are in plain evidence. flights of steps led down to the first patio, which was surrounded[453] by lofty corridors with roofs of pointed arches and which led into small apartments. there were two of these patios in the palace of irregular size. double galleries which made a sort of cloister surrounded them. gloomy entrances from these corridors lead to underground chambers, where there are tables which are called altars, beds and dining tables by different writers. a lack of system seems to prevail in the building of the palace. on top of one of the walls two immense forest trees are now growing. in the central portion are the ruins of a tower, of which three stories are still standing, with many windows. it is a square tower ornamented to the north with pointed niches; otherwise it is almost devoid of ornamentation. on the contrary the galleries are richly ornamented with medallions, probably representing priests and priestesses. many human figures are sculptured in low relief representing priests with mitres on their heads and in uncomfortable attitudes. the faces are oftentimes defaced in order to give an appearance of ferocity. some of the figures of the deities are fantastic, monstrous and even terrible.
the temple of inscriptions stands on a hill about fifty feet high. a magnificent view of[454] the ruins is afforded by this elevation, as well as the broad tablelands surrounding. there are three large mural tablets covered with picture writing and hieroglyphs, supposed to be copies of the laws of these ancient people, in the building. across a little valley over which an aqueduct leads the land rises in terraces, and is surmounted with artificially made hills on which are the ruins of more buildings—two temples of the cross and the temple of the sun. the temple of the sun is almost perfectly preserved. the interior is one large room with a sanctuary at one end. in each of these are mural tablets which contain what is known as the cross of palenque. the cruciform shape, such as the swastika and other forms, is not uncommon among aboriginal people, but this is what is known as the latin cross. whether this arose by chance through the invention of the artist, or the cross had some religious significance among these people, still remains an absolute mystery. charney asserts that it is one of the symbols of tlaloa, the god of rain, but other writers differ with him. the body of the cross, which rests on a hideous head, is sculptured in the centre, and at the upper end are two human figures. on one there is an inscription of sixty-eight characters,[455] which doubtless explain the ceremony represented by the sculpture. again it is surmounted by the sacred bird of the mayas, the quetzal. in another this place is taken by a representation of the sun with its spreading rays. where did the mayas get their idea of the cross so sacred among christian people? no one has yet been able to answer this question satisfactorily.
who built these structures? for what purpose were they reared? various are the theories, and many are the speculations covering them. but authentic information is absolutely wanting, and the passing years shed little light. the modern yucatecos are an attractive people. no people in the world are pleasanter or have more delightful manners than they. the young women have a winning grace and charm that is peculiarly their own. their costume is not greatly unlike that of the tehuanas—and it is fully as unique and becoming. it is quite probable that their customs and characteristics have not changed much since the spanish occupation. they have always been an independent people, and have caused much more trouble than the majority of the aboriginal tribes of mexico.
