XXVI Congreso Internacional de Americanistas

251
ApPARENT LACK OF DECORATION.
It is knowJ1 that at least some of the pyramicla l temples, and also sorne
of the long bllildings which have been called "palaces", wereelaborately
embelJishcd with stucco relie Es, as are famol1s buildings oE both types at
Palenque. At Piedras Negras there WIJ.S also sorne use of carved stone
panels, and carved stone stelae stand on or before ten of the twelve pyramids
which support temples. The one stone which we believe was
Llsed as a temple lintel was carved.
The more or less complete excavation of 5tructures P-7 and N-I
illdicates that neither ·'.vas dignified with relieE c1ecoration, either in stucco
or in stone. N one of the eigh t has associ;:¡[ed carved monuments.
LOCATIONS.
AII eight examples are more or les s conveniently placed with reference
to long buildings which must be c1assed as "palaces" rather than as
lemp:es. Thre-e, Structures 5-2, 5-4 ancl 5 -1 9, are quite close t ogether
in the 50utheast sec tion of the city, in an area characterized by many
small mouncls and the entire absence of stone monuments. Two, 5truc·
tures 0-4 ancl R-13, are founcl in small groups adjacent to but separated
from the 5011th and East Groups, which inc1ude temples and monllments.
5 tructure P-7 is in a pocket of the East Group, but the pyramic1 before
it faces in anotht r direction. 5tructure J-I7 is on the Acropolis, behincl
a pyramid. Structure N -1 is placed at one end oE the long !West Group
Plaza and is the only building of this type which may be said to occupy an
im~osing position. It is perhaps worth mentioning here that an earlie r
building, probably of another type, was apparently remode:ed to form
S tructure N-I as we found it.
Thus it may be said that the type occurs both in and outside of the
great ceremonial centers of the city; ane! that where it occurs within
rhem it usually plays a minor role in the total architectural effect.
USE OF FIRE IN OTI-lER TYPES 01' BUJLDlNGS.
In excavating rather extensively in many of the long "palace" typr:
buildings no evidences of fire have been encountered. Fire, probably
more extensive than the mére burning of incense, did undoubtedly play
a part in the rituals of ai! oí the pyramid temples, and also in two supposed
temples on low platforms. In a l! cases, however, the architectural
arrangements for these fires were entirely different. They were built