Early Period
176 A. D. to 373 A. D. 9.0.0.0.0 to 9.10.0.0.0
During these ten katuns the great cities of the south make rapid strides towards grandeur. Pyramidal mounds are erected and temples built upon them. Public squares are laid out and in these are set up stelæ and altars. The leading early cities are Palenque, Tikal, and Copan, where the dated monuments and temples mark rapid progress in the arts of sculpture and architecture while the subject matter of inscriptions reveals growing ability in astronomy and mathematics. Low angular relief characterizes stone sculptures and the profile presentation of the human figure is now handled more skilfully than front view.