-
Articles/Ads
Article THE RUINED CITIES IN CENTRAL AMERICA. ← Page 5 of 7 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Ruined Cities In Central America.
Egyptian stones and Assyrian marbles , deciphered and laid open to tell the history of a nation that has been absorbed in the dim and obscure past . In these hieroglyphs we have the " Rain God , " a figure blowing through a tube fierce winds and huge storms ; the Maya , or "War God , " who is represented as a figure armed with
certain weapons of an offensive and defensive character , and other sculptures are all of a religious aspect . The same writer also institutes a comparison between Copan and Palenque , but that is not to the purpose of a short essay , and would lead to a volume of reasoning ere we could be satisfied that they were identical or two distinct races .
Palenque is in Mexico , and Copan in the province of Honduras ; and for the distance between the two places there is a remarkable similarity between the hieroglyphs of the one with the other . This would prove the existence of a powerful people whose territories covered an immense area of ground , and must have been well-circumstanced
in the affairs of this life . That they have been a warlike people is evidenced by the " War God " in their Pantheon , but no hieroglyphs serve to speak of their warlike ojierations . Copan , in the Province of Honduras , is rich in these ruins , for they extend two miles on the banks of the river , and how far they reach into the depths of the forest has not been ascertained . The most complete building known
is the Temple ; various pyramidical structures are connected with the walls , two of which seem to have served as the right and left pillars of the doorway ; the southern wall begins with a flight of steps , about thirty feet hig h . At the south-eastern extremity of the wall is a massive pyramidical structure , 120 feet high on the slope . To the east of this
are the remains of other terraces and earthen pyramids , and a passage twenty feet wide , which seems to have led to a gateway . The range of the walls , running from south to north , continues at a distance of about 400 feet , and then turning at right angles to the left , runs again southwards , and joins the other extremity of the river wall .
Within the area enclosed in these walls are other terraces and pyramids 140 feet high on the slope , enclosing two smaller areas or courtyards , one of which , situate near the eastern boundary wall , is 250 feet square , and the other , close to the river wall , 140 feet by 90--both being 40 feet above the level of the river , and accessible by
steps cut in the sides of the sloping walls that enclose them . Down the sides of all the walls and pyramids , and covering the ground of all the quadrangular enclosures , are innumerable remains of sculptures , some still retaining their original position , others forming heaps of fragments , among which , however , many blocks are remarkably well preserved . Half-way up the sides of one pyramid are rows of death ' sheads of colossal proportions ; but which , from their peculiar con-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Ruined Cities In Central America.
Egyptian stones and Assyrian marbles , deciphered and laid open to tell the history of a nation that has been absorbed in the dim and obscure past . In these hieroglyphs we have the " Rain God , " a figure blowing through a tube fierce winds and huge storms ; the Maya , or "War God , " who is represented as a figure armed with
certain weapons of an offensive and defensive character , and other sculptures are all of a religious aspect . The same writer also institutes a comparison between Copan and Palenque , but that is not to the purpose of a short essay , and would lead to a volume of reasoning ere we could be satisfied that they were identical or two distinct races .
Palenque is in Mexico , and Copan in the province of Honduras ; and for the distance between the two places there is a remarkable similarity between the hieroglyphs of the one with the other . This would prove the existence of a powerful people whose territories covered an immense area of ground , and must have been well-circumstanced
in the affairs of this life . That they have been a warlike people is evidenced by the " War God " in their Pantheon , but no hieroglyphs serve to speak of their warlike ojierations . Copan , in the Province of Honduras , is rich in these ruins , for they extend two miles on the banks of the river , and how far they reach into the depths of the forest has not been ascertained . The most complete building known
is the Temple ; various pyramidical structures are connected with the walls , two of which seem to have served as the right and left pillars of the doorway ; the southern wall begins with a flight of steps , about thirty feet hig h . At the south-eastern extremity of the wall is a massive pyramidical structure , 120 feet high on the slope . To the east of this
are the remains of other terraces and earthen pyramids , and a passage twenty feet wide , which seems to have led to a gateway . The range of the walls , running from south to north , continues at a distance of about 400 feet , and then turning at right angles to the left , runs again southwards , and joins the other extremity of the river wall .
Within the area enclosed in these walls are other terraces and pyramids 140 feet high on the slope , enclosing two smaller areas or courtyards , one of which , situate near the eastern boundary wall , is 250 feet square , and the other , close to the river wall , 140 feet by 90--both being 40 feet above the level of the river , and accessible by
steps cut in the sides of the sloping walls that enclose them . Down the sides of all the walls and pyramids , and covering the ground of all the quadrangular enclosures , are innumerable remains of sculptures , some still retaining their original position , others forming heaps of fragments , among which , however , many blocks are remarkably well preserved . Half-way up the sides of one pyramid are rows of death ' sheads of colossal proportions ; but which , from their peculiar con-