Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-09-19
AZTEC NIUNfNIIES.
Bodies Found in a Cave OF the Sierra
Madre Mountains.

There was brought to this city COL
lection of mummies which constitute
one OF the most remarkable discoveries
made on the American continent.
These mummies differ from those dis
covered in Egypt in a remarkable de-
gree, being entirely nude, without
wrappings, and apparently not having
been subjected to any embalming pro-
cess Exposure to the air had no ef-
feet upon them, the flesh having been
drled in hermetlcally sealed cavern
until it is like parchment, and the
weight of the bodies Is merely nominal.
MIR. Docking, in whose possession
these specimens are at the present
time. tells a romantic story regarding
their discovery. In one OF the spurs
OF the Sierra Madre mountains, not far
from the banks of the Gila river and
almost on the boundary line between
Arizona and New Mexico, a party of
American miners was searching for
treasure which tradition says is buried
IN these hills A cavern was one day
discovered, Theoretically sealed with q
cement which delied the picks of the
party, and only by clipping 1t of fake
by fake was entrance gained to the
cave. Lighted only by the flame OF "a
blazing pine branch they traversed a
passage about thirty feet III length,
which ended in a room cut in the solid
rock Here, instead of untold gold
and other treasure of AZtecs, they were
startled to fiLd a number of human
bodies, looking more ghastly than usual
In the flickering light of the torches.
After recovering from their surprise.
preparations were II ade TO remove the
of the vicinity, believing that the
bodies were those OF their gods, objected
to the proceedings, and it was only
with much diplomacy and occasional
skirmlshes that they were finally con-
yeyed to flag station on the Southern
Pacific road and transported To this
city, where they were placed in charge
of Mr.. Docking, who will keep them in
his residence, where they have been
viewed by a large number of scientists
and physicians, as well as by the yari-
GUS consuls OF foreign powers i'll this
city.
The most remarkable of the number
are those of a mother and child, which
when found were enveloped In one
shroud, portions OF which are still TO be
seen covering the lower limbs OF the
woman.
Still another mummy is that OF
woman, her long hair being in state
of perfect preservation. The feet are
small and highly arched. while the
| fingers are long and tapering. Rem
nants of her shroud still remaining is
of dark-blue color, differing both In
this respect and in texture fiOm the
material of which the other shrOuds
were composed.
Another remarkable specimen, how
evel, is that of N IN in "A sitting post
ure. the body being considerable larger
1 than any of the others. During life
his girth of chest must have been much
above the average, the whole of the
upper portion of the body having SEEM
ingly been nodded in gigantic proper
tions. The caTtilages of the ears and
nose are still plainly 10 be seen, while
the head is covered with dense
growth of black hair. The eye brows
are well defined, while between the
glistening teeth protTudes the tongue,
now dried to an almost coTk-lIke con-
sistency.
The remaining mummy is that of a
man, said by scientists TO have been
comparatively young at the time of his
death. Many speculatiOns have been
made by those who have seen the col
lection as to his relation to the female
bodies reclining on either side of him.
And the different theories of brother
and husband have many advocates.
That the remains are those of the
ancient AZtecs, members of that ciyIli-
ZatiOn which was destroyed in Mexico
by the soldiers of COrteZ, there can be
no doubt. The woman and the smaller
man present all the peculiar physical
conditions attributed 10 this once num-
erOus people. The high cheek bones
and slanting eyes are there, the thick
skin and black hair are plainly visible
TO the eye, and the height of the bodies,
although they were found more or less
doubled upon themselves, is estimated
at about feet 3 inches. When this
is taken into consideration, with the
fact that the Aztec spread sOuthward
from about the Both parallel until they
inhabited the high plateaus of Mexico
and Central America, there can be
little doubt as TO the race of which
these mummIgs were once living men,
bers.
The specimens will be sh pped east
J in a few days, and, in all probability,
Will find resting place IN one OF the
principal museums of Europe. Al
though Mr. Docking has kindly shown
them TO all scientists and historians
who have called upOn him, they vii
!. not be placed upon public exhibition IL
this city.