The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-08-08


 tory Is preparing, which he will read before the association. In this paper MT Savile will relate the remarkable results of his recent explorations among the ancient cities of Mexico. The officers of the American Museum, who are the only ones thus far ac- quainted with the full import of EX- plorer Saville's discoveries, have pro- nounced them the most remarkable ever made on this hemisphere. Not only are they likely to revolutionize | some of the pet theories of archaeolo- gists and anthropologists, but they are of great interest for the light that they throw on the question of the origin of the most ancient inhabitants of the western continent.
 The scene of these remarkable dis | coVeries is Xoxo, about five miles south of the district of Oaxaca. The most l important part of the work was accom- | plished during six weeks of the half year over which MT. Saville's recent | trip extended. Half by accident, MT. | Saville stumbled upon the ruins of | great prehistoric metropolis, the an- | cient capital of the Zepotecas, by all odds the most enlightened nation that ever inhabited the new world prior to | the advent of European civilization. | He not only found this ancient city, but unearthed hieroglyphics of a character far surpassing anything hitherto sup posed to exist in the western hemis- | phere, besides other proofs of high | culture and an advanced civilization. The explorer is convinced after careful scientific analysis that these revela- tions place the prehistoric Zepotecan nation on a par with the ancient races of India Chaldea and Egypt, and that they possibly prove the first settlers of this continent to have been related to | the, first named of these peoples.
 | MT. Saville is the head of the depart ment of archaeology in the American museum, and has spent many years in studying the araces of the prehistoric 1 peoples of America. Since 1889 he has been constantly making researches in Mexico. MT. Saville left on his latest and most successful trip in October last. It was his purpose to decipher l certain picture writings which cover the temple of Montezuma's far-famed sun-god then considered the most im- portant ancient American structure. | Quetzalcoatl, the sun-god, was the l principal deity of the Aztecs, and by ' some lucky chance his temple escaped | the destructive hands of Cortez and the | other Spanish hands of Cortez and the other Spanish invaders.
 | MT. Savilles work was prosecuted un- der the auspices of the Mexican govern ment, and he was accompanied by MT. | Humphreys, surveyor, who acted as an official Mexican representative. While on the way to his intended field of labor, MT. Saville found traces of a great group of pyramids near Xoxo. This region has long since been recog- nized as fruitful field for the discove- ny of Zepotecan relics. Thinking that little exploration might uncover something of value, MT. Saville set his native laborers at work, and In short time had unearthed number of pyra- mids and smaller mounds. The largest twelve of these pyramids are of the sort called teocalli an Aztec word meaning divine tombs. The ground throughout this region was thicltly overgrown with guamuchi and mesquite. The roots from these trees penetrated to great depth and in several instances they had broken through the stone floors or the mounds. Specimens of ancient pot tery and other relics were found which had been broken up by the same resist less forces.
 One day, while MT. Saville was recon noitring some distance to the north of the big group of pyramids, he came to rise of ground forming a sort of low | I,,1o foo1 ict tho roct nf the plain and covered with the usual heavy vegetation and undergrowth Separating the vines and brambles as well as he could for short distance from the outer edge of the growth, and peering underneath, the explorer mo- ticed peculiar bits of pottery and traces of ashes. On examining the pieces of broken pottery he knew at once from their peculiar formation that they had lain there undisturbed for centuries sheltered from wind and storm by the impenetrable thicket through which not even the heavy tropical rains could force their way. The explorer applied himself to pick and spade and with great difficulty dug two or three feet into the earth, where he came to a hard, fiat surface. He called his labor CTS, who quickly cleared away the brush and dirt. The surface was found to be cement floor, or perhaps 1t would be more accurate to say ce- ment roof. Cutting through it, the workers came to the face of a stone wall. Sealed to this wall by their rims were cazuelas (earthenware bowls) Under each bowl was a bright red fune- ral idol, which had been so thoroughly preserved by the perfectly dry air that 1t looked as though 1t had been newly painted
 What had at first appeared to be a stone wall was now seen to be long slab, forming lintel over the top of a door. After further digging the door. way was uncovered and was found tc be blocked by huge metate millstone) Its corners had been filled in with smaller stones and the whole mass ce. nented over, so that the tomb was her medically sealed against dampness and other corrosive agents. The lintel of ethis doorway was huge stone block of volcanic origin, about six feet loni an6 eighteen inches wide. Carved across its entire surface were inscriptions in the hieroglyphics of civilized race! Nc writing of such an advanced character as that of these hieroglyphics has ever before been discovered in America