Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-27
PREHISTORIC RACES.
Their Ruins and Relics In Norther
MexieO-Remains of = Great People.


Mexie0-Remains of = Great People.
I have rambled among the sunless cata-
combs AZ Rome, and read the sentences
cut in old Latin along its wonderful
walls; 1 even have had the novel pleasure
Of Witnessing the excavations made BY
DR.. Henry Schliemanu, in the gigantic
graves Of lava that have held Pompeii,
and seen him deeipher hieroglyphics that
flowed from pens in ancient times, writes
a correspondent Of TlC0 Republics from
Piedras Negras. But was not impressed
then as 1 have been lately when examin-
ing the picture writings Of the mysterious
mound builders, not unlike Egyptian
hieratie script.
Along the frontier Of Mexico are the
footprints, one might say, Of these prehis-
toric peoples. and many a scientific Cru
soc has seen these footsteps and been
startled. Builders of monumental
mounds, cliff jewellers. with a history
whose pages have never been perused,
| this mvsteriously moving this ever stir
ring. this nomadic nation left as slight z
I track among the mountains of Mexico as
do the Bedouins on the sandy Sahara.
1t is known that the m0und-builders Sc
! leeted as points of departure for the south
/ vancouver's island and the neighbOrine
mainland. Back OF that period il appears
l impossible 70 trace them. Whether the
| wandering few rested there, and the curse
Z Of eternal progress was lifted: whether
/ fugitiYes from the face Of the terrible Tar.
| tar found there the nucleus of new ma
I ton, VIII all remain part OF the archives
| guarded by time. Their origin seems alb
| solutely in oblivion.
From this vicinity they were led by fol.
lowing the river courses through the
4 passes of the mountains into the great
central basin Of North America. The
/ strange people had entered a continent
untrOd by man. About that time Troy
was burning on the other side of the
| globe, but the mound-builders knew If
not. IrresistiblY they drifted southwark.
! Striking the headwaters Of the Missouri
and the Saskatchewan they were conduct
ed into the Mississippi valley. In two
great armies they wandered tin sla4- -a--s
ed on the banks Of the Mississippi river,
] one army coming by the Red river Of the
north and the other BY the Missouri.
They then occupied the various tributa-
ries Of the Mississippi, following them out
with a wild instinct. Their wanderings
did not cease till their feet pressed the
Alleghenies, on the east, and till they
stood in wOnderment by the dark blue
waves Of the Mexican gulf. They drifted
| into Georgia and Florida. and also crossed
the Rio Grande into Mexico.
High up on the face of cliffs along the
/ deep canyons Of Northern Mexico are the
caves Of these curious colonists. close to
eVries of eagles, thousands OF feet above
the valleys. In some cases path just the
width of a human foot leads from the
brink Of the cliff above TO the mouth OF
the caves, in nearly every instance a mar
IL ~. T.
these caves they lived and died.
The remains of the mOund-builders are
placed under four heads: First, mounds
second, embankments or ramparts; third,
mines and excavations; fourth, arts and
manufactures.
RThe mounds are classed as temple, al
tar, burial, observatory, or residence
mounds. The temple mounds are of yari-
GUS forms and sizes, distinguished by their
truneated tops. The altar mounds con-
sist of cOncentrlc layers OF earth, sand. or
gravel: beneath this mound is an altar or
hearth of baked earth, evidently Of sacred
Importance. In the burial mounds are
even vet found the dusty bones Of this
people. sealed in from the air for centu-
RES. The observatory mounds were sim
ply signal stations along which cOmmuni-
cations were passed between communi-
ties hundreds Of miles apart. The resi-
dence mounds were terraces elevated
above the surface Of the ground. The gar
den beds and animal mounds Of Ohio are
a part Of the great system of mound cities
erected by these ancient giants. In fact,
the animal mounds here, as IN the North,
are but immense bas-relieis of men,
beasts, birds and reptiles.
The embankments and ramparts are
classed as defensive and religious. The
Notifications manifest progress in the art
4 L.
Greeks and TrOjans. The religion inelo-
sures were usually combinations of geo
metrical figures, in which perfect squares
and circles are found. The mining opera
tons Of the mOund-builders were extern
| sive. In the Lake Superior recon they
mined copper. in Missouri gabna, and
| in Mexico iron. They mined iron in
pyrites. Elsewhere they quarrid for mica
and porphyry.
The arts and manufactures Of this peo-
pie were of considerable importance. AT
| ter rude but effective fashion they cast
! copper and iron, from which they not only
manufactured weapons. but also Orna-
ments and euin. They were so distin-
guished in wrapping amulets in silver
that the work could scarcely be distin-
guished from plating. Articles worked IN
gold have also been discovered in their
caves and mounds. There pottery was
been found Of p0tter's wheel. The pot
| terry was decorated with animal forms,
arabe sques, and geOmetrical figures in
| cised with some sharp instrument. On
| their pipes was generally their most
| artistic work. They made cloth out Of
| vegetable and animal fibre. A few
/ statuettes and figures of animals have
| been exhumed from their mounds, which
/ were thought by some to be idols, though
| / doubt that, for all research points &c
| these wanderers as leo nOclastic in high
| degree, and as being devoted to the sole
/ worship of the sun, and to human sacri
| fee. A powerful priesthood and wide
1 spread religious system is considered t
have been a paramount among these IRE
wOrshipers.
| The inference drawn from an examina
| ton of the monuments left behind By
these people is that they were exceeding
/ " numerous that they were controlled
| by despOtic power; that they were one
| great race from Vancouyer's island t
| Florida; that their institutions were
| homogeneous; that they were agricultur-
| lists, miners and artisans; that they were
| far advanced in the science Of war, es
pecially in the defense Of gigantic forti
/ I'D III