the Central Acropolis.
Parging
Finishing a surface with mortar rather than plaster is called parging.
Partition
A non-load-bearing wall dividing a room into two smaller spaces is a partition. Some partitions have upper parts shaped like vaults but are clearly secondary and not load-bearing.
Planing
For application of a thin plaster coat, wall, vault, or terrace facings were often planed smooth after installation by the use of rubbing stones so that the plaster coat could be rendered even while remaining thin.
Plaster
A mixture of lime and finely divided very small aggregate is known as plaster. At Tikal workers hardened the plaster by pounding on it after it had reached initial set. Stress marks can be seen in sections of plaster coats caused by pounding and rubbing. The final finish produced by these processes, where preserved, is usually very smooth, planar, and free of wrinkles. Lime plaster can be burnished and polished to high degrees of luster and even to a mirror finish. Tikal workers certainly burnished plaster surfaces; whether they worked them up to a glossy, reflective state is uncertain.
Platform
An architectural entity built up to provide an essentially horizontal surface is called a platform. Some are free-standing structures, others are parts of structures, and some serve as sustaining surfaces for structures.
Precinct Wall
A wall that encloses an exterior area such as a plaza or patio is here referred to as a precinct wall.
Preplastered
If plaster is applied to a unit of construction before that unit is installed it may be said to be preplastered. So far this is only known to occur at Tikal in capstones of vaults.
Range
Rooms of a building arranged with their length perpendicular to the structure axis constitute a “range.” This is the basis of the term “range-type structure.” Some range-type structures have more than one range set one in front of the other.
Rear Axial Outset
An outset on the axis at the rear is a rear axial outset. These occur in temples at Tikal and although Str. 5D-66 may be a sort of temple it does not have a rear axial outset. Str. 5D-62, a range-type structure, does have a rear axial outset, though only on the lower substructure platform.
Return Face
This term applies to facets of exterior surface that run perpendicular to the general orientation of facades—for example, end elements of outsets.
Riser
The vertical interval from tread to tread on a stair is a riser.
Rod Row
A series of small holes usually found immediately below a medial molding or a vault spring is known as a rod row. These holes are castes left by dowels only a few centimeters in diameter.
Roof
The layer of hard plaster that provides a seal over the vaulting is the roof of a building.
Roofcomb
A construction standing on a roof surface, usually containing inaccessible interior chambers and exterior sculptural treatment is known as a roofcomb. Str. 5D-63 is the only Central Acropolis structure known to present this feature and it has, or had prior to collapse, no less than sixteen of them.
Roof Structure
A construction standing on a roof surface but not identifiable as a roofcomb may be designated as a roof structure.
Room Floor
A hard plaster application within a room and turning up to the wall plaster is a room floor. In some cases, the plastered top of a building platform serves as a room floor; it passes under the walls rather than turning up to them.
Rope Anchor
A feature similar to a cord holder but very much larger and with a stouter peg is known as a rope anchor.
Run-under
A plastered floor or top surface that extends beneath some other feature is noted as a “run-under.”
Scratch Coat
A substrate for plaster prepared using either mortar or a low grade of plaster and deliberately roughened is called a scratch coat.
Sett
Small, roughly squared stones may be called setts. Several Central Acropolis structures, 5D-49, 51 and 55, employ setts as facing stones for the walls of the building.
Side Inset
A recess separating front building parts from rear building parts externally is a side inset; none are known in the Central Acropolis.
Sill
The bottom surface of a doorway, niche, or window is a sill.
Socket
The hole left by a rotted out beam is a socket.
Soffit
The under-surface of a projecting member is its soffit. Vault surfaces over a room are soffit surfaces.
Spall
Small stones that occur in masonry joints and beds are spalls. Some may have been placed so as to provide a correct setting for the blocks, others may have been included in the mortar.
Staggered Joints
Masons often take care not to align the end joints in adjacent courses. Joints are staggered to increase strength. Masons at Tikal did not do this because their facings were seen as skins rather than retentive elements. They took pains to ensure that core masses did not exert outward pressure on facings.
Stair
A flight of steps is known as a stair. A series of aligned stairs could be called a stairway.
Stair-side Outset
Terrace outsets flanking stairs are known as stair-side outsets. They do not occur in the Central Acropolis.
Stair-side Ramp
