The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-03-31

manuscript to the Smithsonian and have it passed upon by the archaeolOg ical authorities there, He does not eN- pect though that they will be able to read 1t, as this feat has not ben aC- compHshed in the case of any of the other Aztec manuscripts in existence, He believes that the time is coming, however, when they will give up their secret. It will be remembered that it has only been within recent years that scholars have been able to read the Egyptian hieroglyphics, pr, Daniel c. Brinton ot the museum of the Uni VerSity of Pennsylvania, the greatest living Aztec student, gives it as his opinion that instead Of consisting of all pEabet the language is phonetic, like the Chinese. each character signifying an idea.
 A gleam of light is thrown upon the manuscript in question by Professor Moorehead. It is no doubt of reli- gious significance The circle of spots
 which surrounds the human figure on the center fragment is known to be the sun symbol. The figure is evidently meant to signify a priest of the sun or chief protected by the sun. On the
 upper fragment is a house-like figure,
 which denotes a temple. The semi circle of spots above it shows that it is a temple of the sun.
 As to the probable age of the maun- script, it cannot be less than four hun dred years. At the time of the Span ish conquest, in 1900. the Aztec ciViliZa- tion in Mexico was stamped out, their records were destroyed by the fanati-
 cal priests and no vestige of their na- tionality allowed to remain. All the literature as far as known, except the few fragments of which mention has
 been made. was sacrificed No writing
 was done by the Aztecs after they were crushed by the Spanish conquerors. 1 How much the manuscript in question may have antedated this event is Q
 matter of conjecture.
 Another question that may be asked is as to how the manuscript came to be | found as far north as Iowa, when the scene of the old Aztec civilization was no nearer to this spot than the present boundary line of Mexico. This might be accounted for in two ways. It was either carried by an expedition of Az tees into the present territory of south ern Iowa, or was captured and borne
 away by Indian tribes during their wars with this semi-civilized nation. In whatever manner 1t came to the To-
 cation in which it lay buried for cen- turies it must have been carried a dis tance of not less than two thousand
 miles The Indians employed picture
 writing in recording their deeds, using for the purpose buffalo skins, bark and other substances The Aztec manu- script Is not to be confused however,
 with this class of relics, as 1t belongs to a higher civilization, and in the dis cerning eye of the archaeological schol- ar has nothing in common with Indian records.
 The find is in every way a unique
 one, adding, as has already been stated, a fifth Aztec manuscript to the possessions of the world. The others are all larger than this one. although Professor Moorehead regards it as a very fine specimen. The characters are the same as the manuscripts in pos session of the famous Trocadero Muse um at Paris, the Vatican Museum at Rome, and the Berlin Museum. This new piece of Aztec writing is placed under an air-tight glass and inclosed in frame. In this manner it will be sent | to the Smithsonian Institution, and af- ter it's return will be preserved in the
 archaeological museum of the State | University at Orton Hall.--Columbus | Dispatch