were "high-priests or rulers of people and
of towns," that the beard or goatee was the mark of supreme rank and that
artificial ones were sometimes worn.

The beardless effigies, on the other hand, obviously represent individuals
belonging to a different caste; and the fact that stelae exist at Copan and
Quirigua on which two figures are carved, back to back, proves that the
assignment of the effigies of the two types to separate sides of the
courts was preceded by a time when a closer unity prevailed between the
dual rulers. The existence of stelae with female figures proves that here,
as well as in Mexico and Peru, there had been a period when "the Below and
the cult of the Earth-mother were presided over by a woman."

On each side of the great Stela F is carved the initial followed by 6x6=36
glyphs, which fact seems to indicate that six glyphs pertained to each of
the six regions and recorded facts relating thereunto. On the sides of
Stela F, each initial is followed by 34 glyphs only, the count being
shorter than that of Stela E by 2x2=4. One side of Stela C exhibits the
initial followed by 2x13 glyphs grouped in parallel lines, then a
horizontal band with 4 glyphs; the other side the initial followed by
4x6=24 and a group of 4 glyphs. Stela D is particularly remarkable on
account of the six squares of pictorial glyphs which follow the "Initial"
which, in this case, exhibits the head and body of a jaguar in its centre.
I refer to Mr. Maudslay's interesting conclusion that these pictorial
glyphs preceded, in date, the more cursive method of representing the
initial series. In consequence of this jaguar initial, Stela A becomes
particularly noticeable, because one of the personages upon it has a
beard, whilst the other is masked as an ocelot or jaguar.

A vivid sense of the actuality of the bond that existed between the
ancient dwellers at Copan and Quirigua, their totemic animals and symbolic
coloring, is obtained on reading Mr. Maudslay's following description of
the excavation of mound 4 at Copan (Report Proceedings Geographical
Society, 1886, p. 578).... "The excavation was then continued ... when
more traces of [human] bones were found mixed with red powder and sand....
Continuing the excavation ... a skeleton of a jaguar was found lying under
a layer of charcoal ... the teeth and part of the skeleton had been
painted red. At about 100 yards to the south of this mound I shortly
afterwards opened another ... moun