The weekly Arizona miner., 1878-02-15
THE MOUND WORKS OF ARrzoxA.
North America the Oldest Part of the World
 and the American Indian the Oldest Race of Men.
BY ,. N. sANDFoRp.

more fully opened to investigation and VI, turn from page t6 page with renewed ac curacy and precision, many of the former conclusions of mankind fall, like chaff. b, fore this rigid record-book. From the soIit structure of the crust of our planet, eyi dences are exhumed from Natures grand stratifed sepulchre of organic life which lay the foundation for superior archaoIo. gy and paleontology in favor of the Ameri can Continent. and we are compelled fe yield to tho conclusion that the so-called "Old Continent is the more recent. the "New Continent ths older, and North America was the first of the present surface of our Globe, from which the-once abso. lute-aqueous envelop recedcd. and dry land appeared.
 Though the paleontoIogy of North Ameri. ca is yet in its infancy, the facts seem quite we'll established that the vital forms of this part of the world are the most ancient, though it is highly probable that science may hereafter reveal to us the prior exist ence of organic life on Continents still great CT, higher and more ancient, but now sunk and submerged beneath the ocean beds. AnCtC lc HkC6A altO0ul Dl uALA IEu0iUg to establish the foregoing conclusions, but too tedious to bring under review in detail at this time.
 From the view of the case before us, it may not be improper to introduce here the still bolder remark that the Pacific Slope of central North America may have been the cradle of the copper colored or (more properly) the clay-colored race of men. 4 race of men of gigantic stature once in- habited this Continent, but they were en- tirely prehistoric. The primogenitors of the present native races were also pre-hls- toric. But modern investigation seems to show that the American Indian may be the primary stock from which sprang all of the preseut races of intermediate color be- tween the Caucasian and the African. The mingling of language, mixture of races and migratioDs of men from one Continent to another took place at time when the divi- sions of land and Sea were very different from the presents when some of the Oceans were bridged with Islands and Continents which no longer appear. There is perhaps no educational feature in mans develop ment so potential and conspicuous as his system of worship. It was noticed by American Arizona pioneers, that the ruins of stone-using people were extensively scattered over region of more than thou sand miles in extent. Houses, villages, l caves, enclosures, hurying grounds, paved roads or highways buried far beneath the present surface, all constructed of stone, with immense quantities of broken pottery everywhere strewed over the surface. All 1 implements for cutting, chipping, and inn pIements of war and the chase Fefe made of certain kinds of stone, admirably adapted to these purposes. The antiquities collect ed refer us to the clipped-stole age, and also to the subsequent age of polished stone, and indicate the total absence of the use of metals except unalloyed gold, used for or nament.
 The glass of ruins of most profound inter. est in thls reView, Is general mound sys- | tem, Whenever the ancients found high natural sagar.loaf mound, suitably situated they would construct stone wall on iti summit, forming an enclosure, either angu' lar, circular, or eliptical. Within the en- closure there is always a small artificial mound or pile of rock and earth. These were at first called Qualifications, but 1t gas soon observed they were built without refer. ence to water supply, and with no direct military skill. The villages are sometimes near their bases, and sometimes miles away, Careful investigation shows that the enclo- sures on the summits of these mounds were temples where sacrifices were offered t. idols by Sun-worshipers, for, in the selec. ton of these mounds we never find the view of the rising sun obstrneted by any high mountain or cliff, though such impeachment: are often interposed on some other side The circular walls that crown these mound: are alyays built of selected rocks, flat, an. gular, and oblong, so as to form strong
 wall, which is always faced on both sides ] from four to ten feet thick, and from five to fifteen feet high, The rocks selected foi this purpose are often two or three feet across, and it is worthy of notice that those resting on the top or upper surface of the wall are always worn by the elements into shapeless rounded powders; and in many places where the walls have been thrown down, we find the (once selected1 fiat and angular rocks forming powders of unde. fined shape, often twosfeet in diameter,
 Here Is question for archaeological con, sideration. If the Panathena occupying the frieze of the Parthenon, situated on the acropolis of Athens, remain undefaced after 1 tue ihtee VI fDN tiousauu NSoio- siO HUN | lines cut in marble two thonsand years ago ty Phidius remain nearly perfect to this day, how long would it reduire for the eIe. ments in Arizona to reduce Iiat and angular rocks into rounded boulders two feet in di
 ameter, where all the various kinds of rock seem to be affected alike, irrespective ol 1 the hardness of strneture. The small pile of earth and rocks within the main enelo
 sure was probably an altar where sacrifice
 was offered to some Idol placed thereon, and this always occupies that place within thu
 obstructed yiey of the rising sun.
 When the summits of these mounds arr of sufficient extent and not too abrupt, W, can often trace the outlines of another wal surrounding the first at a much greater dis tance from the crest of the summit, So as tt leave an extensive area between the eutel
 and iner wall very closely resembling th' Jewish Tabernacle.
 ! The Pueblo tribes of Arizona still wor ship tho spn, and the Zunias who. long ags
 embraced the Catholic fsi.h, still continus l their morning devotions to the rising sun They regard the moon as a sub-deity, whoss office is to sbed tears on us when We need rain, and their Cotholicy is only 2 new ! branch of faith built upon the old structure l The zunia, like the Pima worshipcrs, is seer on the house-top every morning at sunrise
 with hls face to the east, in solemn devo ton. They seem to think that without sc l kaog,e3ging our gratitude for the birth o
 esch day, tie sun might refuse to rise, anf l.- ,, s. Ierfne,s .5A fsc,, ss - th 2.