Show WERE MAYAS BABYLONIANS NS The towers and pyramids built bythe by bythe bytho the tho Mayas Maras the ancient civilized inhabitants Inhabitants inhabitants in In- habitants of Mexico who flourished before the Aztecs are the greatest wonders of antiquity In America An interesting theory now strongly strong strong- ly held beld by scientists and scholars o of the Smithsonian Institution Is that the Mayas Maras are descended from the ancient ancient an an- people of Babylon who were dispersed dispersed dispersed dis dis- persed over the face of the earth after after aft aft- er the capture of that famous city by Cyrus If this be so then the ancient Mayas built the tower of at Babel of tho the Bible Dible and those inhabitants of the earth were in a sense Americans T view is confirmed confirm cd In a great degree by the extraordinary resemblance between the ruined towers and pyramids of Babylonia and those built by the Mayas in Yucatan In addition to this there Is other evidence that the Mayas came from somewhere in Asia Th The tower of Babel was the largest one ane of many a similar structure or OI pyramidal shape chape in Babylon which were crowned with temples But where the ancient Assyrians constructed constructed con con- scores of such terraced towers towers tow tow- ers rs the Mayas built thousands many of Df them of huge size and of subs substantially tan tan- Bally HaUy the same name pattern pattern likewise likewise upholding upholding up up- holding temples on their platform summits According to the Maya legend X one of the seven giants who survived the deluge erected a pyramidal pyra pyra- nIdal tower lower of enormous height for forthe forthe the tho purpose of heaven But the offended gods destroyed the tho languages languages lan Ian of at the builders The pyramids of Yucatan are square squarer or r rectangular in shape Some arc are nearly one hundred feet high and the largest is 18 more than that five hundred feet square quare They have sloping sides some ome are aro nearly vertical and many rise In steps Faced with f stone tone and dressed smooth or plastered and embellished em em- i with sculptures they are arc as as- by steep stairways on one or more sides The interior mass Is of earth and stones or of at stones and mortar In some cases the slopes were filled in to a smooth slant The loftiest is the pyramid of El ElCastillo ElCastillo ElCastillo Castillo or the Castle at Chichen Itza which Is of the stepped type The largest and most Imposing is the so so- called governors governor's palace at at Uxmal which stands on a natural elevation artificially heightened by stone blocks and rising in three terraces It is considered b by ethnologists the most Important prehistoric structure in America The building feet long 40 feet deep and 26 feet high Is covered covered covered cov cov- ered with a marvelous elaboration of at sculpture one belt of which ten feet wide running entirely around the palace palace palace pal pal- ace contains stones nearly every every every ev ev- ev- ev ery one of them a separate work of art |