wn as the House of Doves at Uxmal, a rendering of the same symbolism on
a gigantic scale (fig. 45). It cannot but be recognized, moreover, that a
high edifice presenting a regular series of cones, and extending from east
to west, would have afforded an excellent means of registering the varying
positions of heavenly bodies. To observers looking towards it from the
north or south, at judiciously chosen distances, the entire span of the
sky would have seemed divided into eight equal parts, seen as inverted air
pyramids between nine sections which rise in steps and terminate in
points, each gable being perforated with thirty window-like openings,
arranged in seven horizontal rows. The purpose of these gable-like piles
has been a riddle to the archaeologists, who have visited Uxmal. Dr. Wm.
H. Holmes, from whose valuable works I cite the above descriptions,
expresses his wonder at "the great building, bearing upon its roof a
colossal masonry comb, built at an enormous expenditure of time and labor
... which seemed to have been built exclusively for the purpose of
embellishing the building and holding aloft its sculptured ornaments"
(Ancient cities of Mexico, pl. I, p. 95).

I venture to maintain that this remarkable edifice not only afforded
facilities for astronomical observation but constituted in itself a great
prayer for rain wrought in stone and addressed to the Lord of Heaven by a
devout people. In corroboration of this inference, besides the foregoing
data, I point out that to this day the Pueblo Indians associate the step
pyramid form with beneficent rain and even give this shape to the edges of
the sacred bowls which are carried in the ceremonial dances by the
"rain-makers." According to Mr. Cushing the Zunis compare the rim of such
bowls to the line of the "horizon, terraced with mountains, whence rise
the clouds." He was likewise informed that the terrace form represents
"the ancient sacred place of the spaces," an expression which, though
somewhat vague, seems to corroborate my view of the Uxmal building. The
Zuni statement that the terrace form figured mountains leads to the
subject of so-called "mountain worship." In ancient Mexico, at the
approach of the rainy season, religious ceremonies are performed in honor
of the mountains which were looked upon as active agents in the production
of rain, because they attracted and gathered the clouds around their
summits. The tops of mountains were thus regarded as the sa