The object of this small book is to summarize shortly the extent of our knowledge concerning the life and culture of the Mexican and Maya peoples of pre-Spanish America. It has no pretence whatever to finality; indeed, the time is not within sight when a complete elucidation of all the problems connected with this most fascinating area can be put forward. At the same time it is useful to pause occasionally and summarize results, if only because attention is thereby drawn to the more serious gaps in the data available, and it becomes easier to direct the course of future investigations. An ulterior motive lies in the hope that a little stimulus may be given to American studies in this country, which have languished sadly during the past few years. This fact is all the more to be regretted since Englishmen, such as Dr. A. P. Maudslay, have done so much in the past to unveil the mysteries of ancient American civilization, and the collection at the British Museum, though small, is rich in the finest collection in the world of Mexican mosaics. At present, as far as the Old World is concerned, the torch has passed to Germany, the labours of whose investigators, in particular of Dr. Seler, have done so much to place the study of American antiquities upon a thoroughly scientific footing. No part of the world, perhaps, has formed the subject of so many wild theories as ancient Mexico, and few present so many fascinating riddles to the expert. It has therefore been impossible in the present work to keep clear of controversial ground, but I have tried as far as possible to take a sane view of each problem, and to indicate in some measure the evidence for each conclusion. Many of the suggested solutions are purely tentative, and must doubtless be modified in the light of subsequent investigations. This remark applies especially to the scheme of dating which forms an appendix. I am quite prepared to be accused of rashness in presenting it, and I admit that it is purely provisional. But I think it may have its use as a frame-work for history, and it will at least serve the purpose of exciting criticism. Subsequent to its preparation a monograph on “Maya Art,” by Dr. Spinden, has made its appearance under the auspices of the Peabody Museum in America, in which the author provides a somewhat similar scheme. His table differs somewhat from mine, but I think that the reasons for my dating, which I give in the last chapter, render mine the more satisfactory, and I have therefore made no alteration. His full treatment of Maya art has however led me to curtail my remarks on that subject, since much of what I had written appears on his pages; and I have rather given emphasis to those points of difference which exist between us.

My original intention was to include in the present book a sketch of the archæology of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, but the material proved too great, and I have thought it better to deal thoroughly with the related cultures of the Mexicans and Maya rather than to give an incomplete or over-compressed picture of the archæology of a wider area. Even as it is I fear that certain chapters may have suffered from over-condensation, more especially that on the Mexican gods. However Mexican religion is in itself rather an intricate subject, and requires studying in considerable detail if a proper view of the life and culture of the people is to be obtained. Religion amongst the Mexicans was the mainspring of all private and public life, and few of the archæological remains cannot be brought into direct relation with it. Yet even Mexican religion is not as complicated as it appears at first sight; it is in reality the language, with its fondness for long compound names, which renders it so difficult a study to the amateur in the initial stages. I had also intended to add a bibliographical note, similar to that with which I concluded my volume on South America. But in view of the existence of an admirable bibliography in Dr. Walter Lehmann’s little monograph, “Methods and Results in Mexican Research,” I judged it unnecessary.

I find it difficult to express to the full my thanks to the many friends whose encouragement and assistance are really responsible for such success as this book may achieve. Without the work of Dr. Maudslay and Dr. Seler its production would have been impossible, and I owe them both much gratitude for the great generosity which has led them both to place their illustrations at my disposal. Professor Holmes, of the Bureau of American Ethnology, has shown me similar kindness in permitting me to reproduce five of the charming illustrations in his admirable monograph, “Archæological Studies among the Ruined Cities of Mexico,” published by the Field Columbian Museum (now the Field Museum of Natural History) of Chicago. I am also deeply indebted to Sir Hercules Read, to Colonel Ward and to Mr. Cooper Clark for much advice and the use of valuable photographs, and also to the Trustees of the British Museum and the Director of the Peabody Museum for the loan of certain illustrations. To Dr. Wallis Budge I owe much for his kind encouragement; it is in fact to him that the inception of the present work is due. I must also express my gratitude to my wife for many hours spent in the preparation of line-drawings, and to my colleague, Mr. H. J. Braunholtz, of the British Museum, for assistance in the laborious task of proof reading. Finally I should like to thank my publishers for the consideration which they have always extended to me, as well as for their enterprise in producing a series of archæological works which will, I trust, do much to stimulate interest in the efforts of the present to unveil the past.

T. A. JOYCE.

London,

January, 1914

CONTENTS

CHAPTERPAGE
Introduction[1]
I.Mexico: Tribal History[5]
II.Mexico: The Gods[31]
III.Mexico: The Calendar and Calendrical Feasts[59]
IV.Mexico: Writing, Priesthood, Medicine and Burial[86]
V.Mexico: Social System, War, Trade and Justice[109]
VI.Mexico: Crafts, Dress and Daily Life[134]
VII.Mexico: Architectural Remains and Pottery[169]
VIII.The Maya: History[199]
IX.The Maya: Religion and Myth[218]
X.The Maya: The Calendar, Calendrical Feasts and Minor Religious Observances[245]
XI.The Maya: Burial, Social System, Trade and War[275]
XII.The Maya: Dress, Daily Life and Crafts[294]
XIII.The Maya: Architectural Remains[319]
XIV.Conclusions[355]
Appendix I. Names of the Days in the Mexican and Mayan Calendars[372]
Appendix II. Names of the Months in the Mexican and Mayan Calendars[373]
Index[375]

ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATE IN COLOURS
PLATE
I. Mexico: Human Skull, incrusted with mosaic,representing Tezcatlipoca [Frontispiece]
PLATES IN HALF-TONE
FACING PAGE
II. Mexico: Colossal Stone Head of CoyolxauhquiStone Figure of Chalchiuhtlicue [22]
III. Mexico: Colossal Stone Figure of Coatlicue [30]
IV. Mexico: Stone Mask representing Xipe [38]
V. Mexico: Stone Figure of Xochipilli [42]
Stone with Figure of a Xiuhcoatl [42]
VI. Mexico: Sculptured Stone Vase [50]
Stone Figure of Quetzalcoatl [50]
VII. Mexico: Stone Quauhxicalli [66]
Stone Quauhxicalli in the form of an Ocelot [66]
VIII. Mexico: The “Calendar Stone” [74]
Stone Figure of an Octli God [74]
IX. Mexico: Objects in Pottery [82]
Maya: Pottery Figurines from Graves [82]
X. Huaxtec: Stone Figure and Chest [108]
Maya: Pottery Censer [108]
XI. Mexico: Stone Rattle-snake and Jadeite Head [140]
Maya: Jadeite Reliefs [140]
Mixtec: Jadeite Relief [140]
Zapotec: Gold Lip-pendant [140]
XII. Mexico: Mounds at San Juan Teotihuacan [170]
XIII. Mexico: Temple at Xochicalco, Present Condition and Restoration [172]
XIV. Zapotec: Interior of Chamber at Mitla [174]
Mexico: Temple at Tepoztlan [174]
XV. Zapotec: Ruins at Mitla, partly restored [178]
XVI. Totonac: Temple at Papantla [182]
XVII. Mexico: Spear-thrower, atlatl [188]
Tarascan: Pottery from Guadalajara [188]
Zapotec: Funerary Vases [188]
XVIII. Mexico: Stone Sacrificial Knife [194]
Totonac: Pottery from the Id. of Sacrificios [194]
XIX. Totonac: Pottery from the Id. of Sacrificios [198]
XX. Maya: Stela 14, Piedras Negras [226]
XXI. Maya: Stela H, Copan [236]
XXII. Maya: Stone Lintel, Menché [294]
XXIII. Maya: Stela 24, Naranjo [302]
XXV. Maya: Building at Sayil [332]
Temple at Tikal [332]
XXVI. Maya: Sculptured Monolith P., Quirigua [338]
Plan of Ruins at Copan [338]
XXVII. Maya: Ruins at Palenque [342]
XXVIII. Maya: Temple of the Ball-court, and “Castillo,” Chichen Itza [348]
XXIX. Maya: Restoration of Ball-court Temple [350]
Building of the “Monjas” Group [350]
XXX. Maya: The “House of the Governor,” Uxmal [358]
PLATE IN LINE
XXIV. Maya: Design on a Pottery Vase [310]
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT
FIGURE PAGE
1. Map of the Valley of Mexico [12]
2. The Aztec migration (Boturini MS.) [15]
3. Various Mexican deities, from MSS. [34]
4. Various Mexican deities, from MSS. [35]
5. Mexican methods of sacrifice (Zouche MS.) [41]
6. The moon (Borgia MS.) [52]
7. Mexican day-signs (Fejérváry-Mayer MS.) [60]
8. Key to the Mexican Calendar Stone [74]
9. Mexican priests making fire (Zouche MS.) [75]
10. Tree of the West (Borgia MS.) [79]
11. Stone relief from Huilocintla [83]
12. Detail from the Telleriano-Remensis MS. [87]
13. Plan of the palace at Tezcoco [89]
14. Mexican mummies prepared for burial [104]
15. Stone relief from Tlacolula [106]
16. Stone relief from Guerrero [107]
17. Mexican warriors (Mendoza MS.) [113]
18. Articles of tribute (Mendoza MS.) [118]
19. Mexican stone and obsidian implements [135]
20. Mexican stone axes [137]
21. Totonac stone “yoke” [139]
22. Mixtec stone figurines [140]
23. Mexican artisans (Mendoza MS.) [143]
24. Gold finger-ring [145]
25. Mexican feather-work mantle [146]
26. Spindle-whorls, Id. of Sacrificios [147]
27. Mexican wood-carver and weaver (Mendoza MS.) [148]
28. Mexican pottery stamps [150]
29. The education of Mexican children (Mendoza MS.) [161]
30. Tlaxtli-court (Bodleian MS.) [165]
31. Mexican teponaztli (wooden gong) [167]
32. Plans of remains at Quiengola [175]
33. Slab from Xochicalco: beaker and stone head from Oaxaca [176]
34. Plan of one of the courts at Mitla [177]
35. Portion of fresco at Mitla [179]
36. Pottery forms [185]
37. Painted designs on pottery [186]
38. Pottery vase from Teotihuacan [187]
39. Vase in Tlaxcalan or Cholulan style [190]
40. Pottery vase from Tlaxcala [191]
41. Design on a vase from Cuicatlan [192]
42. Pottery vase from Tanquian [196]
43. Pottery vase from the Panuco River [197]
44. Pottery vase from Tampico [198]
45. Linguistic Map of Maya tribes [201]
46. Various Maya deities (Dresden MS.) [222]
47. Various Maya deities (Dresden MS.) [223]
48. Carved wooden lintel from Tikal [225]
49. Relief, Temple of the Foliated Cross, Palenque [230]
50. The “two-headed monster,” Copan [233]
51. Detail from relief, Temple of the Cross, Palenque [235]
52. Maya ceremonial axes, from the monuments [237]
53. Maya day-signs; monuments and MSS. [247]
54. Maya month-signs; monuments and MSS. [250]
55. Maya period-signs; monuments [251]
56. Maya date-inscriptions; monuments [253]
57. Maya world-direction and colour signs [256]
58. Maya new-year ceremonies (Dresden MS.) [264]
59. Maya new-year ceremonies (Troano-Cortesianus MS.) [265]
60. Detail from relief at Chichen Itza [289]
61. Man in ceremonial costume, Palenque [297]
62. Maya methods of hunting (Troano-Cortesianus MS.) [299]
63. Maya priests with musical instruments (Dresden MS.) [301]
64. Objects of flaked stone, British Honduras [305]
65. Stone mask; British Honduras [306]
66. Maya weavers (Troano-Cortesianus MS.) [307]
67. Bat-design, from a vase; Uloa Valley [311]
68. Pottery vase from Chama [312]
69. Pottery vase from Ococingo [312]
70. Pottery vase from Coban [313]
71. Pottery censer from Nebaj [314]
72. Pottery head from Nebaj [316]
73. Examples of Maya terraces and pyramids [321]
74. Section of typical Yucatec building [323]
75. Examples of Maya buildings [325]
76. Ground-plans and elevations of Maya temples [327]
77. Section through the Temple of the Cross, Palenque [329]
78. Plans of building at Santa Rosa Xlabpak [330]
79. Detail of fresco at Santa Rita [335]
80. Details of frescoes at Santa Rita and Mitla [336]
81. Stone altar at Copan [339]
82. Relief, Temple of the Sun, Palenque [344]
83. The “Monjas,” Chichen Itza [347]
84. Caryatid figure, Chichen Itza [348]
85. Stone gargoyle, Copan [353]
86. Details from various monuments, showing the interlaced head-ornament [357]
87. Stone relief at Chichen Itza [367]
MAPS
Map of the Valley of Mexico (Fig. 1) [13]
Linguistic Map of Maya Tribes (Fig. 45) [201]
Mexico and Central America [Folder at end]