American Antiquities: Corroborative of the Book of Mormon (14 April 1860)

A statue ten feet high is lying on the ground, covered with moss and herbage; another, about the same size, lies with its face upward. There are four others erect, about twelve feet high, but not in a very good state of preservation, and several altars so covered with herbage that it was difficult to ascertain their exact form. One of them is round, and situated on a small elevation within a circle formed by a wall of atones. In the centre of the circle, reached by descending very narrow steps, is a large round stone, with the sides sculptured in hieroglyphics, covered with vegetation, and supported on what seemed to be two colossal beads. These are all at the foot of a pyramidal wall, near each other, and in the vicinity of a creek which empties into the Montagna. Besides these, they counted thirteen fragments, and doubtless many others may yet be discovered. … The building [Palace of Palenque] stands with its face to the east, and measures 228 feet front by 180 feet deep. Its height is not more than 25 feet, and all around it had a broad projecting cornice of stone. . . The building was constructed of stone, with a mortar of lime and sand, and the whole front was covered with stucco, and painted. The piers were ornamented with spirited figures in bas-relief, one of which is represented in the engraving opposite. On the top are three hieroglyphics sunk in the stucco. It is enclosed by a richly- ornamented border, about ten feet high and six wide, of which only a part remains. The principal personage stands in an upright position and in profile. The headdress is evidently a plume of feathers. Over the shoulders is a short covering decorated with studs, and a breastplate. … He holds in his hand a staff or sceptre, and opposite his hands are the marks of three hieroglyphics, which have decayed or been broken off. At his feet are two naked figures seated cross-legged, and apparently suppliants. . . The stucco is is of admirable consistency, and hard as stone. It was painted, and in different places about it we discovered the remains of red, blue, yellow, black, and white. . . The building has two parallel corridors running lengthwise on all four of its sides. In front, these corridors are about nine feet wide, and extend the whole length of the building upwards of 200 feet. . . From the centre door of this [the front] corridor a range of stone steps, 30 feet long, leads to a rectangular courtyard, 80 feet long by 70 broad. On each side of the steps are grim and gigantic figures, carved on stone in basso-relievo, nine or ten feet high. … At the farther side of the courtyard was another flight of stone steps, corresponding with those in front, on each side of which are carved figures, and on the flat surface between are single cartouches of hieroglyphics. … The whole courtyard was overgrown with trees, and it was encumbered with ruins several feet high, so that the exact architectural arrangements could not be seen. … The part of the building which forms the rear of the courtyard, communicating with it by the steps, consists of two corridors, the same as the front, paved, plastered, and ornamented with stucco. … In the farther corridor, the wall was in some places broken, and had several separate coats of plaster and paint. In one place we counted six layers, each of which had the remains of colours. In another place there seemed a line of written characters in black ink. … This corridor opened upon a second courtyard, 80 feet long, and but 30 across. The floor of the corridor was 10 feet above that of the courtyard, and on the wall underneath were square stones with hieroglyphics sculptured upon them. … On the other side of the courtyard were two ranges of corridors, which terminated the building in this direction. … All the piers are standing, except that on the north-west corner. All are covered with stucco ornaments, and one with hieroglyphics. … The subject [of another pier] consists of two figures with facial angles, similar to that in the plate before given, plumes of feathers, and other decorations for headdresses, necklaces, girdles, and sandals: each has hold of the same curious baton, part of which is destroyed; and opposite their hands are hieroglyphics, which probably give the history of these incomprehensible personages. . . East of the tower is another building with two corridors, one richly decorated with pictures in stucco, and having in the centre the elliptical tablet represented in the engraving opposite. … Near the head [of one of the figures sculptured thereon] are three hieroglyphics. . . Over the head of the sitting personage [alongside the former] are four hieroglyphics. … The whole front [of a building on a “pyramidal structure ” near the palace] was richly ornamented in stucco, and the corner piers are covered with hieroglyphics, each of which contains ninety-six squares. The four piers are ornamented with human figures, two on each side, facing each other. … The first is that of a woman with a child in her arms,—at least we suppose it to be intended for woman, from the dress. … The head is destroyed. Over the top are three hieroglyphics, and there are traces of hieroglyphics broken off in the corner. The other three are of the same general character. Each probably had an infant in the arms, and over each are hieroglyphics. . . The front corridor is seven feet wide. . . In this corridor, on each side of the principal door, is a large tablet of hieroglyphics, each 13 feet long and 8 feet high, and each divided into 240 squares of characters or symbols. … The corridor in the rear is dark and gloomy, and divided into three apartments. … In the centre apartment, set in the back wall, and fronting the principal door of the entrance, is another tablet of hieroglyphics, 4 feet 6 inches wide, and 3 feet 6 inches high. … The hieroglyphics are the same as were found at Copan and Quiriga. The intermediate country is now occupied by races of Indians speaking many different languages, and entirely unintelligible to each other; but there is room for belief that the whole of this country was once occupied by the same race, speaking the same language, or, at least, having the same written characters. … Another pyramidal structure, now ruined and overgrown with trees, is 134 feet high on the slope; and on its summit is the building marked No. 2. This building is 50 feet front, 31 feet deep, and has three doorways. The whole front was covered with stuccoed ornaments. The two outer piers contain hieroglyphics. … The interior, again, is divided into two corridors running lengthwise. … The back corridor is divided into three apartments, and opposite the principal door is an oblong enclosure. … Within, the chamber is 13 feet wide and 7 feet deep. There was no admission of light, except from the door; the sides were without ornament of any kind; and in the back wall, covering the whole width, was the tablet given in the engraving opposite. It was 10 feet 8 inches wide, 6 feet 4 inches in height, and consisted of three separate stones. That on the left, facing the spectator, is still in its place. The middle one has been removed, and carried down the side of the structure, and now lies near the bank of the stream. … In the engraving it is given in its original position on the wall. The stone on the right is broken and, unfortunately, altogether destroyed: most of the fragments have disappeared; but, from the few we found among the ruins in the front of the building, there is no doubt that it contained ranges of hieroglyphics, corresponding in general appearance with those of the stone on the left. The tablet, as given in the engraving, contains only two-thirds of the original. … [There are] six rows of hieroglyphics on each side of the principal figures, each row containing seventeen in a line. … The principal subject of this tablet is the cross. It is surmounted by a strange bird, and loaded with indescribable ornaments. The two figures are evidently those of important personages. They are well drawn, and in symmetry of proportion are perhaps equal to many that are carved on the walls of the ruined temples in Egypt. … Both are looking towards the cross, and one seems in the act of making an offering, perhaps of a child. All speculations on the subject are, of course, entitled to little regard: but, perhaps, it would not be wrong to ascribe to these personages a sacerdotal character. The hieroglyphics doubtless, explain all. Near them are other hieroglyphics, which reminded us of the Egyptian mode for recording the name, history, office, or character of the persons represented. This tablet of the cross has given rise to more learned speculations than perhaps any others found at Palenque. Dupaix and his commentators, assuming for the building a very remote antiquity, or, at least, a period long antecedent to the Christian era, account for the appearance of the cross by the argument that it was known, and had a symbolical meaning among ancient nations long before it was established as the emblem of the Christian faith. Our friends, the padres, at the sight of it, immediately decided that the old inhabitants of Palenque were Christians; and, by conclusions which are sometimes called jumping, they fixed the age of the buildings in the third century. There is reason to believe that this particular building was intended as a temple, and that the enclosed inner chamber was an adoratorio, or oratory, or altar. What the rites and ceremonies of worship may have been no one can undertake to say. … Near this building was another interesting monument. … It is the only statue that has ever been found at Palenque. We were at once struck with its expression of serene repose, and its strong resemblance to Egyptian statues, though in size it does not compare with the gigantic remains of Egypt. In height it is 10 feet 6 inches, of which 2 feet 6 inches were under ground. … The left hand rests on a hieroglyphic, from which descends some symbolic ornament.

(To be continued.)