Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1896-08-15
CAVES OF YUCATAN.
We're the Abodes Of People Of a
Prehistoric Race
Scientific Expeditions Sent Out from
PennSylvSniA to Secure Relics
OF . Race Anterior to
tho MAy0S.

other which archaeologists would hail
with delight it would be the discovery
which would unlock the mysteries of
the Maya stc;. monuments and give to
the world the keys to the history of
the early races of Central, America, as,
the discovery of the Rosetta stone un-
locked the history of ancient Egypt.
There has been for many years dis
pute as to the degree of antiquity which
is to be accorded to the remains that
are found in Central America. One sa-
want carries them back to q time al
most contemporary with ancient
Egypt, while another will not allow
that they are much earlier than the
days of the Montezumas or the time Of
the discovery of the continent by Co
lumbus. If the Maya tongue was az
open book as the records of ancient
Egypt this question might be settled.
Who were the Euilders of Uxmal?
Whence came the ancient race that
carved the strange figures and char
actcrs that are found on the altar slabs
at Palcnque? No one can tell. Afte,
years Of research we are but q littlc
closer to the heart of the riddle than
Recently the inquiry has taken an
other turn and the effort has been
made to ascertain something about
the prehistoric races that it was sup
posed might have preceded the MAYA
Indians in the occupation of the Yucca
tan peninsula. There are in the hills
OF 1ucatan many caves, not large in
Xtent,Eutwhich it was believed would,
upon Investigation, show in the de
POSTS which might be found on their
floors some traces of prehistoric man
III that region. The earlier races found
shelter in caves, built fires there, and
In the refuse of the ash heap arc found
the Bones of the animals they consumed
and the fragments of the tools, utensils
and weapons that they used. Relics
of Importance might be found in the
hill caves of Yucatan, and so an cxI,edi-
tion was sent out from the University
OF pennsylvania to examine these caves
and investigate the Kitchen middens."
or culture beds" as science calls the
soil of which the floors of these caves
is composed. The expedition was in
charge of Henry C. Mercer and was
known rs the Corwith expedition. and
Mr.. Mercer has written an entertaining
and valuable account of their re-
searches. Ten caves were examined.
and the method followed was that usu-
ally employed in such cases. Trenches
are dug across the floor with rreat
care, the Garth removed in layers and
carefully examined for relics and frag-
ments OF pottery, bones of animals.
ts
was hoped that there would be found
traces of n race anterior to the Mayas.
In this the explorers were doomed to
disappointment They did not find
any traces of the prehistoric man; but
they found that the people who came
TO the caves were generally identical
with the race that had reared the cities
whose ruins have excited SO much Mt
tentlon and wonder. They brought
with them whatever degree of culture
they were possessed of and had not
developed after their arrival in Yuca-
tan. 1t was also established that these
people had reached the country in geo
logically recent times. It will thus be
seen that not all the results of the cx-
pedltlon were of q negative character
and that some of them were of impor-
lance from scientific point of view.
1t was ascertained that in all probable
ity the ancient Mayas were cannibals.
They were IN agricultural people and
not given to hunting to any great ex-
tent.
Nearly oil the caverns contained wa
ter, and it was that fact which first led
these earlier races to resort to them.
The party devoted it's entire time to
cave explorations and did not study the
ruined cities. The fact was estab-
iished that no prehistoric race preceded
the Mayas on the Yucatan peninsular,
but no fresh clews were obtained as to
how far back into the past that occupa-
ton eytended.--Broollyn Eagle.
AN English captain named Burke,
serving in Bengal, who went bear hunt
ing in the mountains lately, was at
90 oil 1.,, l. - l. L.. 4