Common Form of Arch, Central America
palaces, and gigantic pyramids, all ornamented with wonderful statuary.
Section of the Treasure-House of Atreus at Mycenae
We find a strong resemblance between the form of arch used in the architecture of Central America and that of the oldest buildings of Greece. The Palenque arch is made by the gradual overlapping of the strata of the building, as shown in the accompanying cut from Baldwin’s “Ancient America,” page 100. It was the custom of these ancient architects to fill in the arch itself with masonry, as shown in the picture