The City of the Sacred Well

by T. A. Willard

Looking down into the Sacred Well. Because of the size of the well and the fringe of trees about it, the whole scene cannot be readily photographed.

“Weight for weight, I imagine we accumulated ten times as many potsherds as all other specimen material combined. At times a large portion of the silt in the dredge seemed to consist of terra-cotta grains—an indication of the enormous number of earthenware vessels which must have been hurled into the well. Probably for centuries the custom was observed of casting into the pool these containers filled with burning incense or copal. Very likely some, heated by the flaming incense, disintegrated almost at once when they struck the cold water, while others lasted for a time and finally crumbled into dust. But to furnish all this red-gray mud and burnt earth-silt an almost incalculable number of vases and jars and basins must have been required. Luckily, by no means all of them were destroyed or even broken beyond repair. Scores were saved entirely whole and among them are many strange and interesting ones.

“The range in pattern and workmanship of potsherds is wide. The larger vessels or fragments of them—cinerary urns and incense-holders—were generally of a coarse, granular biscuit mass, well turned but unevenly burned. They are capable, however, of withstanding a considerable degree of heat. Between this class and a hard slate-gray ware almost as thin and fine as porcelain, are many grades and numerous interesting forms, such as well-made models of human heads, manikins, animals, reptiles,—especially crocodiles,—grotesque Atlantean figures, and tripodal temple vessels used in the sacrificial ceremonies, to hold votive offerings or viands.

“Not always did we have such good fortune in our dredging. At times the soft upper layers of mud caved into the pits we had excavated and we spent many days and weeks in hauling up this mud before we again reached the treasure-level.

“And then, one day, the dredge brought up a perfect skull, bleached and polished to whiteness. Examination showed it to be that of a young girl. Later came other skulls and human bones, scores of them. Most of the skeletons were those of youthful maids, but every now and then one was raised which had the breadth of shoulders, the thick skull, and the heavy frame of a powerful man—no doubt some mighty warrior sacrificed in the flower of his vigor, sent to grace the court of the Rain God.

“I remember as if it were but yesterday finding in the mud raised by the dredge a pair of dainty little sandals, evidently feminine, once worn by some graceful, high-born maid. These more than the bleached skulls and bones, more than any other of the finds, brought home to me the pathos and tragedy of those ancient, well-intentioned, and cruelly useless sacrifices. Frequently bits of cotton fabric were brought up, perfectly preserved but carbonized. My own theory was, and still is, that the copal incense, falling upon the robe of the victim, together with the substance with which the body was painted ere it was sacrificed, exuded an oil which penetrated the fabric and gradually carbonized it, thus preserving it. These specimens of cloth, many of which are lovely in design and texture, are, I believe, the only relics of ancient Maya fabrics in the world to-day.

“Detached skeletons were raised until we had upward of ninety, and at sight of the whitened bones my heart was wrung with pity for the young creatures whose lives had been snuffed out just when living was sweetest. Our finds proved conclusively that the statements made to Landa in 1565 by the natives were true—that both maids and warriors had been frequently sacrificed to the god of the well.

“The female skeletons were those of girls ranging in age from fourteen to twenty. The first one we raised and completely assembled had a small, thin-walled skull, with the sutures almost separate. The skull was delicate, shapely, with small, regular, perfect teeth. The sympathetic imagination without effort clothed the naked bones with flesh and substance, so that one saw instantly the graceful, lovely, high-bred maiden and the last solemn act that had stilled the poor girlish body, clad in all its finery and left to sink into the ooze at the bottom of this terrible pit.

“By comparing the female skulls with those of modern Mayas, obtained from the cemeteries of several villages, I came to the conclusion that there was no appreciable variation or difference. These century-old skulls might pass as typical crania of pure-blooded young Maya women of to-day.