Washington sentinel., 1898-06-18
- 49,, SENTINEL
American Antiquities.

American Antiquities,
Although but little is known of
them, America, as well as her older
sisters, can boast Of ruins which,
while they cannot be compared
with those OF Egypt, Greece,
Rome, and other ancient countries,
in grandeur and magnihcence, vet
tend to show that this continent
must have been inhabited by a
race or tribe of people in tar more
advanced state of civilization than
that in which Columbus and the
early discoverers found them. In
many parts OF the country are
found ruins which go to prove
this.
In New York, Ohio, Pennsyl-
vania, Virginia, Wisconsin and
many other States, are large
mounds which appear to have been
used as burial places. And in
these mounds are found many rel
les and coins which apparently
had gone out OF use before the ar
rival OF Columbus.
Some OF the largest ruins are
found in the far West. In the towns
and canyons OF Colorado, Arizona
and New Mexico are dwellings and
temples of race of men who had
mastered some Of the arts of civil
ization. In the plains are pastoral
villages built of stone and mortar,
for both shelter and defence. The
houses are quite large, sufficient
for number of people to live in,
with a courtyard in the center.
There are no side entrances, and
ingTess was had by ladders over
the walls and into the courtyard.
These cities or towns contain
circular towers of great strength,
constructed with circular walls,
and a court in the center. The
walls are joined by radial parti-
tions, thus strengthening the
whole. Most OF these towers are
very much 6ilapidated, so that it
is impossible to ascertain whether
they were rooted or not. 1t is
thought that they were entered by
a secret rock cut passage, as at
least one such passage has been
discovered. 1t has also been
thought by scientific men that
these towers were temples OF the
Sun, in the center Of which the
eternal fire was kept burning, and
it is even quite probable that the
towers might have been used for
defence in sore extremity, the peo.
pie entering them by the secret
passages. The double and some
times triple walls would discour-
age an enemy armed as they were
in those days with nothing but
bows and clubs. AS dangers thick
eDed about these people, or per-
haps in their earlier history, iorri-
fed dwellings were grouped in the
caves formed in the soft rocks in
the perpendicular cliffs OF the can
yons. These cliff dwellings must
have been constructed with enor-
nous labor, as the stone and earth
was either carried or hoisted from
below. The approaches were by
steps cut into the rock and were
very dangerous. In the outer stone
walls were a few small square open
ings for air and light, while the
mode of entrance was by ladders
over the wall.
The cliff iortTesses are Of great
antiquity. The cedar wood used
for beams is, no Wever,- quite we'll
preserved. Broken pottery in con-
siderable quantities may be found
scattered about these ruins. The
mortar with which the stones are
laid is still firm, and in some places
are seen he print OF human hands
made when the mortar was first
laid on.
The true history Of these ruined
towers and fortresses will in all
probability never be known. 1t is
some satisfaction, however, to
know that America has ruins oil
great and valuable interest.