The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-25
ANCIENT MONUMENTS.
THE FAMOUS WRITING ROCK AND,
THE SKELETON IN ARMoR. 3: -

THE SKELETON IN ARMoR. =
Renewed Attempts to Decipher the He
roglyphics on the stone-Evsdence That
America Was Discovered by the Pho- /.
nicians 300 Years Ago. n'..' s Il
The visit of number of Boston savants,
armed with kodaks and ponderous vol
umes on archaeology, to Dayton, Mass,
has again directed attention to the famous
Writing Rock, relic which has puzzled
philosophers since the earliest days or
American habitation. Thecelebrated Writ
ing Rock is situated on Taunton river, a
stream associated with many an Indian
tradition and event Of colonial history.
It is one Of the most marked evidences
that the coast of New England was visited
by old time mariners long before the COM
ing Of the Spanish voyagers and the Pill
grims. 1t shares with the skeleton in ar
NOR at Fall River and the old stone tower
at Newport the interest Of students OF the
Tar distant past
The three objects mentioned make It
nearly certain that America was d1scov-
cred long before the Northmen penetrated
the more temperate latitudes of the sea, or
the adventurous sails Of Americus Yes
pucci were waited amid the flower covered !,
island Of the Caribbean. It is also nearly
certain that adventures from the Old
World made a temporary settlement along
the coast Of Massachusetts, before the Pill
erims ever saw the wintry shore Of Plym-
outh or bent their knees in worship upon
taking possession of the, to them, new
continent. ..-
THE ROCK. q.
The Writing Rock is one Of the strongest
Of the evidences in the case. It is often
visited by antiquarians, and its inscrip-
tions are well preserved. It consists OF an
insulated mass Of fine grained granite lying
on the sands Of the river few feet above
low water mark, but covered with water
at each flow OF the tide. It is II feet long
and about S high. On the water side It
presents an inclined plane surface, the face
Of which, II feet by s, seems to have been
originally covered with inscriptions and
sculptures. The inscriptions are hero
glyphic in character, and as the rock Is
very hard those that rise above low water
mark can have undergone but little change
from the action Of the elements.
The rock was noticed by the Pilgrims,
but received only little attention from
historians until 1884, when there was found
in the neighboring town Of Fall River
most remarkable relic, one that has not
yet ceased to be carefully studied. In Dig
ging down hill mass Of rock fell of
and disclosed human skull, which was
found to belong to body buried in sit
ting posture and enveloped with bark.
This envelope was removed, and the as
tonished workmen found that the skeleton
was incased in brass armor. The helmet
which covered the trunk was thirteen
inches by six inches and about one-eighth
inch in thickness. It was evidently cast
in a furnace and bore marks Of skilled
workmanship. 1t was very similar to that
described by Homer as having been worn
by Hector in the immortal battle and Siege
Of Troy.
THE SKELETON IN ARMoR. .s..
What was more remarkable about tho
armor was that it seemed to have no con-
nection with the armorial customs and
patterns of Northern or Eastern Europe,
nor with any recent date. Below the
breastplate, and entirely encircling the
body, was belt composed of brass tubes,
each four and one-half inches long and
about three-eighths of an inch in diameter,
arranged longitudinally and close to-
gether. The tubes had been cast on hol-
low reeds, and were so arranged as to pro-
tect the body below the belt and breast
plate. The contrivance was most in
genious one, and proved that the maker
must have had most skilled hand and
comprehensive knowledge of the art OF
casting.
It is the opinion Of learned men who
have made study of the skeleton in armor
and other relics which have been found
near it that it belonged to the crew of
voyagers which left the inscription on the
Writing Rock.
Both the skeleton and the writing on
the rock are supposed to be OF Asiatic or
igin. The most careful writers on the
subject believe the Writing Rock to con-
tain representation of the Pillars of Her
cules (Gibraltar), and that the mail clad
hero was one Of crew of Phenicians who
crossed the western main, sailing through
the Strait of Gibraltar, past the Pillars OF
Hercules, never to return.
The armor is the same as appears in
drawings of sculpture found at Palenque,
Mexico, which has led to the supposition
that an Asiatic race transiently settled
North America, afterward going to Mex
leo, where it founded those rock walled
cities in the exploring Of which such as
tonishing evidences of Asiatic civilization
have been found
READING THE HIERoGLYPHIcS.
To this theory the antiquarians who have
recently visited the rock subscribe. They
have deciphered the hieroglyphics to their
own satisfaction to read that the writer
was familiar with the Mediterranean re-
gion, and that with his fellows he was dis
couraged and abandoned on the North
American coast.
It Is supposed that in the exodus to
Mexico this band was forgotten, and the
inscriptions are their mute record OF the
lonesomeness and encouragement Of the
situation. It is probable that the record is
at least eight hundred years old, and 80
antedates the Columbus period by four
centuries.
The Phonicians were the most persever-
ing Of navigators, and their capital was
once queen Of the sea. Their history tells
of bold sailors who pushed out beyond the
Pillars of Hercules and found strange
lands, rugged and rough. They may have
been the American continent.
1t is proposed to preserve the rock by re-
moving it if possible to one Of the great
museums. There it can be studied more
scientifically and the inscriptions de-
ciphered with greater accuracy. Who