South of the Vault's enclosure is the Circular Mound Altar, built in 1530 and rebuilt in 1749. The triple-tiered white stone terrace is enclosed by two sets of walls that are square outside and round inside; thus, the whole structure forms an elaborate and integrated geometric pattern. The top terrace is paved with nine rings of stones. To Mark's delight, which everyone else endured, he and Tote discovered that the number of paving stones in each ring is a multiple of nine.

© Monica & Mark Hughes 2000-02