Wichita eagle., 1888-02-25
AZTECS AND TOLTECS.
8RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CITIES
OF A BYGONE CIVILIZATION.
incient Ruins in Mexico and Central
Anerica-A People to Be Specialized
Over by Archeolosists and And Anti
acknowledgements of Travellers.

America-A People to Be Speculated
Over by Archeologists and And Anti
Observation-Disclosures of Travellers.
The light thrown on this ancient civiliza-
ion of the Toltecs in Mexico and Central
america. by the recent discoveries in Arizona,
IS OF value in establishing certain traditions
which have long been known and upon which
Qany theories have been based. Tradition
las always said that the ToltecS, who proba-
by arrived in the vale of Anehuac sometime
III the Fourth century, came from the north,
and this the present discoveries confirm.
That they took their civilization with them
instead of developing it in the valley of
Mexico is also certain. Perhaps, too, the
destruction of these cities OF the Salt River
valley may explain the more stable character
of the Toltec ruins in Mexico and Yucatan,
and some of the peculiarities in their con-
struction
The ruins in the vale of Anahuac and in
Yucatan and Honduras are all characterized
by the same general features, and it has been
supposed that for the most part they were
5uilded by the Toltecs, and that the Aztecs,
Who drove out the Toltecs from Mexico, and
whose king, Montezulna, was conquered by
Coitez, added but little to the Toltec civiliza-
ton which they found and conquered. 1t is
interesting to note in this connection that
DR.. Daniel Wilson considers the mound
builders of the Ohio valley and the United
States the probable ancestors of the Aztecs,
| and that modern discovery seems to reveal
| many traits of the mound builders in the
AztecS If such were the case it is evident
that either great progress was made by the
p,p, h,,ilJa 1ofo thayy
TIE civilization which Cortez found in Mex
co. or that that civilization was in large
part the work of race whom the Aztecs
conquered and whose civilization they added
10 their own. From the earth mounds of
The Ohio valley it is quite step to the stone
palaces and temples and mounds banked with
stone, with deliberately carved facades, which
are found in Mexico and Yucatan.
RUINS OF YUCATAN.
The ruins of Yucatan are OF particular in
terest. So early as 1889 and 1S4l Stevens and
Catherwood visited these ruins and made
tine drawings Of many of them. Other ex-
plorers have followed, ard though our knowl-
edge of them is still very incomplete yet
enough is known to make it sure that at one
| time a wonderful civilization existed amid
| the tropical forests of Yucatan. Today vast
pyramidal mounds or terraces are found, not
terminating in point as did the Egyptian,
but having on their SUBMITS platforms that
| support ponderous structures of hewn stone,
| which were unquestionably erected for pur-
poses of a sacred character. Many of these
| teocalli were of earth, but the greater part
| were built of brick or stone. Palaces were
| also constructed on these mounds. At Palen-
| que, in Chiapas the most southern province
| Of Mexico, are ruins of palace on the top of
a vast mound whose base was 80 by 260
feet, and height 40 feet, and the palace on
| the summit 22S by 1870 feet, and p
feet high. The palace is one story, with
| fourteen doorways in front and rear, and
eleven at each end. The walls are decorated
with what Catherwood pronounces admir-
able Stuccos and the water colors on the
cement are much the same as the frescoes of
ancient Italy.
In Honduras the ruins of Copan, the city
| Of idols, are of interest. Great monolithic
statues Of deities abound. the most remark
able being twelve feet high and four feet
square and carved deliberately with what are
| supposed to be Toltec hieroglyphics, an alb
| breviated and more complex form of the
Indian picture writing, The city is located
| on the banks of river and was surrounded
| by vast walls, portions of which, from sixty
| to ninety feet in height, remain standing
At Uxmal in Yucatan, vast ruins also
exist. Catherwood says that ''in vast extent,
variety, and preservation they impressed
him at first glance with the same feelings Of
| wonder and admiration as did the ruins Of
| Thebes." The Casa de los Monjos or House
Nuns, is a rectangular building 800 feet
square and incloses large court. Each side
presents different designs and no less than
sixteen different facades, oil richly decorated
and painted, existed at the time of Gather
woods investigation. The Teocallis, at Tx
NAL, is on a vhst pyramid 100 feet above the
level of the plain and its front is most elabor-
ately carved Max" in Cleveland Leader.