Tonina (page 2)

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission. The upper half lay on the surface in the extreme south of the ceremonial area, and nine other fragments were found buried at a shallow depth on top of Structure H5-3, the east building of Ball Court 1. All remain in the vicinity.

Condition

Broken into one large and nine smaller fragments, constituting about three-quarters of the original, but with only one quarter of the inscription preserved. The surface of the upper portion is fairly well preserved; that of the lower much less so.

Material

Sandstone.

Shape

A panel constituting the lower element of a two-part composite sculpture. Most of the panel is flat, carved in low relief, with a portion in almost full relief at the top. The corresponding tenoned torso is Monument 66 (Becquelin and Baudez 1982, part 2, p. 827, and part 3, fig. IS7a).

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Front only.

Photograph

Graham.

Drawing

Mathews, based on a field drawing corrected by artificial light.

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission, buried in the plaza about 150 m west of the group of sculptures assembled by Aurea Cruz, and probably not in its original setting. It remains in the area near the ball court.

Condition

Except for a loss extending nearly halfway round its upper edge, the altar is intact, but severe erosion is evident over all the periphery and part of the upper surface.

Material

Probably limestone.

Shape

Cylindrical

Dimensions

Carved Areas

The upper surface and periphery.

Photographs

Graham.

Drawing

Graham, based on a field drawing.

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission 30 m outside the western edge of the plaza, and thus probably not in its original setting. Now in the Tonina Museum.

Condition

The human figure has lost its head and feet below the shins. The arms, especially its right arm, belt ornament, and apron are damaged, as are the edges of the cloak, on which the hieroglyphic text was carved. The latter has also suffered from erosion.

Material

Yellow sandstone.

Shape

A standing human figure carved in the round and shown holding a ceremonial bar in his arms. The shape of the cloak descending from the shoulders has been reduced almost to cylindrical form.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Carved in the round, with glyphs in low relief at the back.

Photographs

Front, Graham; back and side, Mathews.

Drawings

Mathews, based on field drawings corrected by artificial light.

Location

Found in 1973 by the French Archaeological Mission. The two fragments were found about 25 m east of Structure G5-2, buried just below the surface and about 4 m apart. Now in the Tonina Museum.

Condition

The two fragments found (since reunited with epoxy) constitute about one-third of the disc. Three of the glyphs have been obliterated; the other four are fairly well preserved.

Material

Sandstone.

Shape

Part of a circular disc with vertical edges.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Upper surface only: carved with an annular inscription and possibly once carrying a giant Ahau on the missing central portion.

Photograph

Graham.

Drawing

Graham, based on a field drawing corrected by artificial light.

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission. The fragments were found near the northeast comer of the western structure (H6-2) of Ball Court 1. Now in the Tonina Museum.

Condition

Broken into 16 fragments constituting about two-thirds of the panel, the right-hand edge being entirely lost save for the two fitting fragments that appear in the drawing. (One had been lost by the time the photograph was taken.) The carved surface, including the inscription, is fairly well preserved.

Material

Sandstone.

Shape

A panel originally forming the lower element of a two-part composite sculpture, most of the panel being flat and carved in low reliet while at the top, in almost full relief, appear the thighs of the full-relief figure depicted in the upper element, identified as Monument 94 by Becquelin and Baudez (1982, part 2, p. 827). For general arrangement see Monument 39 on pages 6:86, 87.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Front only.

Photograph

Graham.

Drawing

Graham, based on a field drawing corrected by artificial light.

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission in situ at the center of the playing alley of Ball Court 1 (Structures H6-2 and -3). Now in the Tuxtla Gutierrez Museum.

Condition

Intact and generally well preserved. Glyphs J-L retain pristine surface; elsewhere erosion has caused pitting and reveals many inclusions.

Material

Reddish sandstone.

Shape

A circular disc, with the lower periphery inclining inwards, reducing the diameter of the underside by about 4 cm.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Upper face only.

Photographs

von Euw.

Location

When first photographed in 1959 by Graham, this monument lay by the roadside opposite the Cruz family ranch, near other sculptures that had probably been brought down from terraces above. Now in the Tonina Museum.

Condition

The head and lower legs were missing when found, and a fragment (now lost) representing the figure's right knee lay nearby. Since then the left shoulder was broken off, and since repaired. Surface erosion is slight.

Material

Yellow sandstone.

Shape

A human torso carved in the round.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Carved in the round. The folded cloth projecting above the breechclout behind is merely incised.

Photographs

Front and side, Mathews; back, Baudez.

Drawings

Graham, based on field drawings by Mathews.

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission on the surface near the west side of Structure H6-1 (erroneously identified as H6-5 in this work, pp. 6:6,7). It is now in the Tonina Museum.

Condition

This lone fragment of a sculptured human figure representing part of a human torso has suffered considerable erosion of its carved surface.

Material

Sandstone.

Shape

Carved in the round.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Carved in the round, with glyphs on the back in low relief.

Photographs

Mathews.

Drawings

Graham, based on field drawings by Mathews.

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission on the eastern bench of Ball Court 1, Structure H6-3. It is now in the site museum.

Condition

It is the only fragment of either element of this composite ball-court sculpture to have been found (see Monument 39). The carved surface, fairly well preserved, carries part of an inscription.

Material

Coarse white sandstone.

Shape

Part of a flat panel, broken on all four sides.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Front only.

Photographs

Graham.

Drawing

Graham, based on a field drawing corrected by artificial light.

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission. The butt was in place in the temple of Structure 05-1; the carved portions were in rubble at the top of the mound and at the foot of the west side. Now in the site museum.

Condition

Broken into several fragments, six of which were found. These compose the upper two-thirds of the shaft and the connecting lower part. Part of the front carved surface is well preserved, and part eroded or split off. The inscribed left side is fairly well preserved.

Material

Yellow sandstone.

Shape

A flat slab with well-dressed face and sides. The sides are parallel for fourfifths of the height, then converge slightly towards the rounded corners of the top. The butt is trimmed square.

Dimensions

Photographs

Graham.

Carved Areas

Front and left side.

Drawings

Graham, based on field drawings corrected by artificial light.

Location

Found in 1973 by the French Archaeological Mission. Two fragments were among those assembled across the road from the Cruz family ranch; the third lay near the west platform of the southwest group on the fifth terrace. Now in the site museum.

Condition

Of the three surviving pieces, one had cracked in two horizontally at mid-thickness, a break now mended. The carved surfaces have suffered little from weathering.

Material

Sandstone.

Shape

Stela base with central hole and sides tapering upwards. The flat upper and lower surfaces are well finished.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

The sides only.

Photographs

Graham.

Drawing

Graham, based on field drawings corrected by artificial light.

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission, this piece lay on the ground deeply buried in rubble between the north side of Structure D5-3 and the stairway leading up to Structures D5~ 1 and -2. The statue had thus been mutilated before the space between stair and structure became filled with debris. Now in the site museum.

Condition

Headless and with legs broken off at the knee. The figure's left arm is missing, and the other is damaged. The front is somewhat damaged, while the back is well preserved.

Material

Sandstone.

Shape

A human figure carved in the round.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Carved in the round.

Photographs

Graham.

Drawings

Graham: front and back based on stereophotographs; that of side on a photograph.

Location

Found by the French Archaeological Mission in 1973 lying directly on a plaster floor near Structure F4-8. Now in the site museum.

Condition

A single fragment constituting about one quarter of the whole. Apart from one effaced glyph, the remainder is mostly in quite good condition.

Material

Sandstone.

Shape

A disc with edges incurving towards the bottom.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Upper surface only.

Photographs

Graham.

Drawing

Graham, based on a field drawing corrected by artificial light.

Location

The four left-hand fragments were found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission on the fifth terrace, dose to Structures ES-7, -8, and -9, and are now in the site museum. The present whereabouts of the right-hand portion, stolen perhaps in the 19605 and until 1984 in the possession of a collector in Maine, U.S.A., are unknown. From a photocopy, now the only image available, David Stuart identified it as the missing portion of this monument.

Condition

Two fragments are still missing. The fragment forming the upper, !efthand corner was initially catalogued as Fragment 12 before being recognized as part of Monument 83 (Becquelin and Bauclez 1982, part 2, p. 871). The carved surface is quite well preserved.

Material

Yellow sandstone of medium grain.

Shape

A wall panel carved in relief.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Front only.

Photographs

Left-hand portion, Mathews; right-hand portion, unknown photographer.

Drawing

Graham, based on field drawing and photocopy.

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission on the surface of the fifth terrace, close to Structures E5-7, -8, and -9. Now in the site museum.

Condition

A single fragment including the lower border, which bears an inscription, and the original right-hand edge. The carved surface is well preserved.

Material

Yellow sandstone.

Shape

Part of a rectangular wall panel, the right-hand edge is well dressed, the lower edge is beveled back at an obtuse angle.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Front only.

Photograph

Mathews.

Drawing

Graham, based on field drawings by Graham and Mathews.

Location

Discovered by the French Archaeological Mission in 1973. The larger fragments lay on the surface between the Southwest Group and the foot of Structure E5-17 on the fifth terrace of the Acropolis. Smaller fragments were found in excavations made in the west and central platforms of the Southwest Group. Now preserved in the Tonina Museum, still in several pieces.

Condition

Twenty-four pieces were recovered and reassembled by the French Mission. The statue is headless and shows many losses elsewhere. Most of the surface is badly eroded.

Material

Yellow sandstone.

Shape

A standing human figure carved in the round.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Carved in the round.

Photographs

Mathews.

Drawings

Graham, based on Graham's field drawing of the lower portion and stereophotographs of the front.

Location

Found in 1972 by the French Archaeological Mission during excavation of Structure F4-6, in a position that suggests it had been placed above Buriall. Now in the Museo Regional, Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Condition

Has suffered damage in several small areas but is otherwise intact and unaffected by erosion.

Material

Light brown sandstone.

Shape

Carved in the round to represent a male dog lying down or crouching, with head turned to its left.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Carved in the round, with an inscription in low relief on the dog's back.

Photographs

von Euw.

Drawings

Graham, based on von Euw's field drawing.

Location

Found by the French Archaeological mission in 1972 among the sculptures brought together near the Cruz family ranch. Now in the site museum.

Condition

The fragments constitute about one-third of the original. The inscription has suffered negligible erosion.

Material

Yellowish-pink sandstone.

Shape

Stela base with sides inclined slightly inwards.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Sides only.

Photographs

Graham.

Drawing

Graham, based on field drawings corrected by artificial light.

Location

Exact provenience unknown. Apparently obtained in the vicinity of Tonina by N. Gessler of Los Angeles, California, in whose collection it remains.

Condition

Broken in two, probably for ease of transport. The surface is in pristine Condition.

Material

Yellowish-brown sandstone.

Shape

A stela base with sides incurving upwards.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

On all four sides.

Photographs

Graham.

Drawings

Graham, based on field drawings corrected by artificial light.

Location

Four non-fitting fragments were found in 1973 by the French Archaeological Mission on or around the platform of Monument 102, at the foot of the stairway of Structure E5-2. The source of the narrow fragment uniting two others is unknown.

Condition

Broken into three fitting fragments, and two others. The carved surface seems to have been abraded evenly, probably while still intact.

Material

Fine-grained sandstone.

Shape

Parts of a circular disc with sides incurving towards the base.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Upper surface only.

Photograph

Mathews.

Location

The lower portion was found in 1973 by the French Archaeological Mission on the surface of the fourth terrace between Structure E5-17 and -18; the upper portion was found by Juan Yadeun at an unknown location. They are now in the site museum.

Condition

The upper right-hand portion of the panel is missing, with unimportant losses at the other corners. The surface is moderately weathered, slightly more so on the right side than on the left.

Material

Yellow sandstone.

Shape

Originally a rectangular panel.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Front only.

Photograph

Graham.

Drawing

Graham, based on a field drawing corrected by artificial light.

Location

Found by the French Archaeological Mission at the eastern foot of the Acropolis, below the palace area, its origin likely to have been Structure E5-5 (Becquelin and Baudez 1982, part 2, p. 729). Now in the site museum.

Condition

In three pieces, headless and minus its left leg, with additional damage to knees and feet. Some parts show surface pitting, others are well preserved.

Material

Yellow sandstone.

Shape

A kneeling human figure carved in the round, with arms bound behind his back. Smoothly finished.

Dimensions

Carved Areas

Carved in the round.

Photographs

Graham.

Drawings

Graham, based on photographs.