The Saint Paul globe., 1903-07-26

In the steep mountains and mesquite
hills of Juan de los Llanos Mexican
archaeologist has unearthed ruined
city so old that even it's decay and
death antedate all that is known of
Mexican history.
Stretching away for miles in all di-
rectfons are the ruind walls and tow
ers, moats and parapets, erected by
dead and forgotten civilization. In ex-
tent the city is almost as great as
Brooklyn. When it f1ourished as the
royal city of Mexico, centuries before
the country felt the iron heel of Cor
tez, it must have numbered 100000 in
habitants.
Think of it! While England, France
and the later-born nations of the East
ern hemisphere were laying each other
by the ears across the unsailed sea,
here slept an ancient civilization OF
sun worshipers with their towers and
temples and mighty priesthood utterly
unknown to Christianity.
The great ruins show that the city
was far more extensive than the pres
ent City of Mexico. 1t was discovered
only a few weeks ago by DR.. Nicolas
Leon, the anthropologist and ethnol-
ogist Of the National Museum OF Mex
leo.
While leading an expedition through
the solitary region southward OF the
little village of Tepeyahualco. Prof
Leon came upon the remnants OF an
old fallen wall. Exploring along this
wall he discovered pyramid OF
huge dimensions surrounded by an
cient stone platforms.
Continuing his search he found that
the ruins covered a region twelve miles
long and eight miles wide-far larger
indeed, than Manhattan island.
Built Before Ancient Rome.
For centuries this great ruin has
slept in the Mexican forest undisturb-
ed. According to Mexican antiquarians
it was there in the days of Juliu5
Caesar, before the crucif1xion, before
the imperial city of Rome had grown
from brick to marble.
More wonderful, perhaps than arg
thing that hasAever before been d1scqE-
cred among Mexican antiquities was
an elevated road running from the top
of a tall mountain down to the valley
below.
1T was such a road as Hannibal, the
Carthagenian, hewed from the granite
walls of the Alps on his traverse to
the Italian plains.
Along this ancient road the sun wor-
sinners passed with their queer bur
dens of meat. and vegetables for the
citys needs.
1t is a strange fact that "although
norton of the vast ruins lies within
the bounds of the great hacienda known
as Xaltipanapa, owned by Senor Bruno
Osorio, their presence was never even
suspected by the innumerable poems on
the plantation.
The walls were covered with the
mold of centuries. and upon the stone
platforms where the sun worshiper
turned his brown face to the dawn the
maguey plant waved and the sal1saya
flourished.
Stones cemented here and there into
walls. fragments of old temple inscrip-
tions, granite blocks with carved tor
toises, worn smooth by the sandals OF
a dead multitude, tumbled pyramids
and fallen idols. are all that remain OF
a once mighty city.
1t will require year at least to note
all the points of interest. Never be
fore in the history of Mexico has there
been discovered such a number of
archaeological monuments as here.
The ruins have been called Cantona
by DR.. Leon. the discoverer. They are
located 10 miles from the City Of
Mexico.
Tepeyahualco is the only town in the
vicinity of Cantona. The region occu-
pied by the ruins is a mountainous
stretch of land rising abruptly from
the surrounding plains. Upon the sali-
ent points of the high region are con-
struction monuments, pyramids, ele-
waited roadways and platforms of huge
dimensions.
Every square yard of the rugged
mountain stretch was utilized by the
builders of Cantona.
The hundreds of pyramids have alti-
tudes of from forty to fifty feet. and
are, without exception. quadrangular,
being constructed perfectly according
to the cardinal points. They are built
entirely of sandstone rocks placed in
juxtaposition without being cemented
All the pyramids We're incrusted with
little rocks of eubicaI form, laid close
together in artistic fashion. Very few
traces of the ornamental incrustations
now remain; weather and vegetation
have destroyed most of them.
All the pyramids were systematical-
ly arranged. being grouped in such q
way that, in sets of four, they inclosed
courts. the entrances to which were
guarded in nearly all cases by the
pyramids themselves. Whenever the