Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-27
ANCIENT TRAILS IN IOWA
Experts Wrestling with the Aztec
Manuscript Found at Fairfield.
SMITHSONIAN PROFESSOR GIVES IT UF
Believed TO lie n Relic Buried by nm
Exploring P~arty-ScnIcd His
tory in n Curious Birch
bark Document.

A birchbark manuscript of peculiar history
is now being examined by the authorities of
the Smithsonian Institution at Washington
Prof. Warren X. Moorhead, archaeologist Of
the Ohio State university, a man versed in
Aztec lore, makes in this article the first
accurate statement and the only one regard
ing this manuscript. 1t was discovered by
a workman at Fairfield, la. Prof. Moorhead
writes to the New York Herald:
The Ohio State Archaeological and His
torical society of Columbus received early
In February a most remarkable relic. Or
September z, 1896, IA laboring man Of Fair
field, Ia, while eXcavating for the water
works; brought to light what was apparently
a chunk of wood, except that its surface
was encased with a coating of pitch. The
object was found about three feet below the
surface. Its dimensions are something over
a foot in length, by eight inches and five or
six inches thick.
"0ut of curiosity, the workma struck
1t a blow with a pick, causing it to split
open, revealing a space in the center In
which lay a roll of birch bark, covered on
one side with strange hieroglyphics. The
workman was intelligent enough to know
that the find was Of some value and. taking
1t to his home, carefully spread out the
manuscript and encased it between glass,
In a frame.
THE matter was brought to the attention
of Miss Emma Clark, of Fairfield, who
had heard Of the museum at Columbus, and
she wrote there, describing the find in all its
details. l concluded that the find was GER
tainly worth examining and persuaded Miss
Clark to send the wooden receptacle and
manuscript for my inspection.
CONDITION OF THE BARK.
THE bark is extremely thin and its
natural color is well preserved. This is due
to the fact that it was sealed almost air
tight. The edges are torn and broken and
there is every evidence that a part of it is
missing. l had further excavations made,
but thera were no more fragments or relics
Of any description, and the workman posi-
lively asserted that the manuscript was found
in the box in a fragmentary condition and
that he had sealed between glass all that
he had found of it.
THE wood is of oak, and shows marks on
the end of having been rudely hewn with
stone axes.
with the manuscript were received letters
from prominent citizens certifying to the
character of the workman. A letter from the
editor CT tie Ledger, the county paper, pub
lished at Fairfield, state: Griffith Is a labor
ing man OF about average intelligence and
information, and would have neither the
ability nor the knowledge to mislead any
body as to the circumstances. Nor Is there
any practical joker in this vicinity who
would have the knowledge to execute a plan
like this and keep quiet about 1t. Nor has
there been interest sufficient in matters of
this kind in the community to furnish such
people basis for work.
"A tree some fifty or sixty years old grew
directly over the spot, the hollow log or
wood being found under its roots. The gum
Or wax, which not only fastened the pieces
together, but made the reeentacle practically
,,,,-. 49,, II. 4.-l. - 60.
uted by turning the block over a fire. This
was plain, because the block was not only
covered with SCOT, but was also slightly
charred. The characters are written in red.
evidently the juice of some plant. The work
is neat.
AZTEC OR MAYA.
After a careful examination found that
| could not read the characters, and, further
more, that no one could read them; that a
great deaf had been published on Aztec and
Maya manuscripts, but that no one could
translate them, and that one-half the archaic
ologists who claimed to read them gave diff
ferent translations of the same manuscript.
1.-The characters are evidently Aztec or
Maya and were made, / think, by some Of
the highly cultivated tribes of Mexico or
Yucatan. A party, for some unknown rea-
son, set out north, carrying this little box,
and on account of a decrease In strength,
either through sickness or war, buried the
manuscript at the point where it was found.
Il IL nv az an pl OpublC lhal lLt llolt
thing is a hoax, for if it were we must ac-
count for the knowledge on the part of the
workman who found it of Aztec and Maya
glyphs, which Is not the least probable.
There are very few men in this country who
know anything about these hieroglyphics,
and 1t would be impossible for any one in
Fairfield to make them unless he had a work
at hand containing plates of the Maya hioro-
g%lyphics. There are only a few such books
in existence, and they are very high priced.
THE characters are not Indian. For in
stance, take the grotesque human figure
shown in the middle section, around which
is the sun symbol. The sun symbol, with
the character in the left hand upper cor
ner of this middle piece and all the char
acters in the upper piece are very like those
upon the tablets of Central American ruins
and in the four manuscripts or books pre-
served in the European museums. Combina-
tions of straight lines and dots are strong
proof Of the southern origin OF the manu-
script.
There have been several fraudulent
sculptured stones found in the United
States, but they are all totally different from
this, and do not appear either aboriginal
in concept or execution.
I have sent the box and the birch bark
to the Smithsonian Institution, at Wash
ington. for further examination, with a re-
and age. Whatever may be said, the find
is one of great interest and value to the
archaeological world, and there Is every in
dication that it points to an exploring party
sent north from the Aztec country"