Daily camera., 1897-02-04
PREHISTORIC AMERICA.
Was the Western Continent the Cradle Of
Civilization?

Yucatan. With this kc. lie PloLgeon
claimed to have d2clpAered a record
of the flood upon the Intel Of door
at Chichen. 1t is asserted that the in
scriptions are in the ancient Maya Ian
guage. The nature OF the key found by
che explorer is not fuIly.revealed. As
form or dialect of the Maya tongue
is still spoken in Yucatan it is pos
sible that some aid was gained from
the natives. 1t is not likely that he
found any parallel writings in a known
language to throw any light on the
hieroglyphics.
The announcement, if it can be sub
stantiated, is of the highest Importance.
For, if the writings Oh the many ruined
buildings of Central America and Mex
leo can be read part of the mystery
surrounding early man on this conti-
nent will be solved The existence of
written records and a dignified archi-
lecture show clearly that there was
high state of civilization.
Officials of the bureau of ethnology
at Washington make haste to deny that
lie Plongeon has made any discovery
whatever, and they may be right, but
such denial is the usual thing, and it
has no bearing on the subject. If the
French investigator has a key he can
s. 'stantiate his statements and ignore
t-.e official doubters. Until he gives
some satisfactory exposition of his al
legged discovery, however, the decision
as to its merits must be reserved.
1t has occurred to US. that the Sc
crets of the ruined cities may vet be
revealed by careful comparison of
the ruins with the monuments and ar
chitecture of India ard China Several
of the sculptured images found in Cen
tral America and Mexico bear a strik-
ing resemblance to the statues of Bud
dha in Japan and Burmah. The statue
of Quetzalcoatl of the ancient MeXicans,
seated with crossed legs and closed
eyes, in the attitude OF, contemplation,
with hands nnnn the lower limbs, bears
striking resenn."-oo in form to the
colossal Buddha, OF Guatama, at Amara-
Pura, Burmah. This comparison is
made from drawings in Chambers Cy-
ico." Quatzalcoatl was a divinity who
during his life on earth instructed the
natives in the use of metals, in agri-
culture, and the arts of government.
A pillar discovered at Copan by the eN-
plorers of tt Aum Of Ear
,-orl nCIJara oop+oi,,e Gr-,,ra
ly sketched in the Boston Globe, that
resembles the giant statues of Euddha.
A statue from Polenque, pictured by
Ober, also resembles Buddha. Posi-
bly, there is a real relationship between
the statues of .aIcoatl and those
of Budha in Asia.
Was Buddha parsonage of Amer
lean rather than Hindu origin? The
explorations by the authorities of the
Peabody museum, recently described
in the Boston Globe, reveal the fact that
the ruins now visible at Copan are but
the latest of three periods of growth
and decay. That is, under the floor
of the ruined temples are two other
foundations of cities or great build
ings buried deeply in debris of un-
known antiquity. We quote from the
Globe: ''Along the river front (Copan
extends for two miles along the Conan
river, and near the boundary of Guate
mala and Honduras) are found three
great strata, divided by floors or pave
ments Of mortar cement. IF these
ba
various levels corresponding to differ
ent epochs in the history of the city,
the question of the age of the ruins
becomes still more complicated; Tor
between each successive period of oc-
eupancy there is period of silence, the
length of which can only be inferred
from the thickness of the superimposed
stratum" At Copan there are 90
sculptured monoliths 12 feet high. The
three pavements indicate an age that
may be even greater than that of any
monument or building now known.
Investigators are beginning to see
that the learning and the arts of the
world may have had their origin in
America, and not in India or Egypt.
The pyramids of Egypt may be copies
of the pyramids of Mexico, and the
highly ornamental! sculptures and archi-
lecture of India may have had their
origin in the temples of Uxmal, Militia
and Chichen. At Chichen is found in
bold relief the Swastika, oldest of en-
blems and known for ages through
out the east. This emblem shows com
mon knowledge, that may have sprung
from America and spread to Asia and
to Egypt. The presence of the Swastika
or cross with curved arms, or arms
turned in one direction at a right angle,
lends plausibility to the supposition
we have ventured, that Buddhism, and
earlyworld religion, may have origin
ated in America, and that the fsst stat
ues of the wise and enlightened one
were erected on this continent.
Study of the ruins of Central America
has only just begun. 1t was about 1S41
that Stephens explored them and gave
the first authentic description to the
world. His work excited ridicule, be-
..,,.o r,.,,x, l>o1;oya1 bot bic y,iot,1ra<