El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-03-15
AN AZTEC RECORD.
Wonderful Discovery of Prehistoric
Writing by Man in Iowa.

Writing by Man in Iowa.
An archaeO ogical museum at the
Ohio State university has been enriched
by find of great rarity and value. A
fortunate chance has placed it in pos
session of an Aztec manuscript. the fifth
so far known to be in existence in the
entire world. and the only one now in
America, the others all being in
European museums.
On Septem Der last laboring man
of Fairfield, Iowa, in the employ of the
water works of that city, while engaged
in excavating, brought to light what
was apparently an ordinary chunk of
wood; except that its surface was in-
crusted with a coat of pitch The OBJ
ject was found about three feet below
the surface, the dimensions being d foot
in length by eight inches in width and
five or six inches in thickness. y stroke
with the pick caused it to break open,
revealing a space that had been scoOped
out of the center, in which lay a roll of
birch bark, covered on one side with
strange looking hieroglyphics.
From the description Professor
MOOrehead, of the Ohio State univers-
ity concluded that the find was nothing
| less than an Aztec manuscript, and
with the instinct of the true archaic
ologist, his fingers itchcd to get hold of
the treasure. The relic was finally for
Wdrue 10 Inc ONO dfcndeOlOglcal
society.
The bark is of extreme thinness and
is of the character which was ordinari-
ly employed by the Aztecs in their
writings The hieroglyphic5 are made
with red pigment and remain fresh and
distinct. The natural color of the
bark is also well preserved. The three
pieces into which the manuscript is
divided are from three to four inches
| fro, fxrn tn h.c
wide.
A CLEAN of light is thrown upon the
manuscript in question by Prof. Moore
head. 1t is no doubt of a religious
| significance. The circle of spots which
surrounds the human figure on the CEN
ter fragment is known to be the sun
| simtol. The figure is evidently meant
to sig nifty priest of the sun or chief
protected by the sun. On the upper
| fragment is hOuse-like figure which
denotes temple. The semi-circle of
| spots above it shows that it is temple
of sun. AS to the probable age of the
manuscript, it cannot be less tnan 400
years. AT the time of the Spanish con-
quest in 1900 the Aztec civilization IN
Mexico .gas stamped out. their records
were destroyed by the fanatical priests
and no vestlge of their nationality al
| lowed 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. How much
the manuscript in question may have
antedated this event is a matter of
conjecture.
The wooden case in which the manu-
script was inclosed is in fair state of
preservation. it is of hickory and the
inside is charred. 1t had been rudely
fashioned with stone ak. But for the
coating of pitch it must have long since
gone to decay and its precious contents
with it. Its Aztec origin was speedily
determined upon examination by Prof.
Moorehead. whose extensive researches
in archaeology with the Smithsonian
Institution at Washington make him
familiar with the signs employed by
this race in their writings. There are
but three works eXuant upon this
branch of archaeological science, and
the copies are very rare and expensive.
Prof. Mocrehea will send the man
uscrlpt to the Smithsonian and have 1t
passed upon by the archaeological au-
thorities there. He does not expect,
though, tina they will be able to read
it, as this feat has not been accomplish
ed in the ease of any of the other Aztec
manuscripts in existence.
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
1t was either carried by an exped tion
of Aztecs into the present territory of
southern Iowa or was captured and
borne away by Indian tribes during
their war with this semi-civilized ma
ton. In whatever manner it came to
the location in which it lay buried for
centuries it must have been carried a |
distance of not less than 1000 miles. |
The Indians employed picture writing |
in recording their deeds, using for the |
purpose buffalo skins, bark and other |
substances. The Aztec manuscript is |
not to be confused. however, with this |
class of relics. as it belongs to a |
higher civilization, and in the discern
ing eye of the archaeological scholar |
has nothing in common with the In
dian records.