Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/58

 28 Early American Architecture. pyramids — generally divided into two, three, or more ter- races — and the temple itself, which rises from a platform on the summit. The pyramid of Cholula, near Mexico, is alike the largest and most celebrated of the Teocallis of Mexico : but it has been much defaced, and the original temple has been replaced by a modern church dedicated to the Virgin. This pyramid originally measured 1400 jr~ Fig. 17. — Casa de las Monjas at Uxnial. feet each way, and was 177 feet high. The Teocallis of Yucatan are in much better preservation. They are not built on terraces, but are approached by an unbroken flight of steps. The pyramid of Palenque is 60 feet high, and the temple on the summit is adorned with bas-relief and hieroglyphical tablets. The roof is formed by courses