The Temple of the Masks, Kohunlich. Kohunlich is most famous for the Temple of the Masks, which features four great anthropormphic architectural masks flanking the central staircase. These were uncovered by looters in the 1970s, who left them as they could not remove these priceless treasures without destroying them. (Since then the looters have increased their technical expertise, and in the last decade have begun removing even larger stucco and stone friezes than seen here.) The masks at Kohunlich are most often referred to as images of the Sun God, K'inich Ajaw. However, the design in the center of the eyes of this face are most certainly not the K'IN cross, diagnostic of this god. This design must have some other meaning, and the masks cannot yet be identified. They may be of a king, or a god, or even a combination of the two. The preservation of these masks is so excellent that even major amounts of paint survive (photo: Stanley Guenter).