Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-09
ABOUT THE NEWEST RUINS
DR.. Toners Discoveries in Mexico and Guatemaa-
Result of Months Investigation.

insertion of earrings OF stone Deads or
metal Is vet practised among the en-
tire J.acandonc tribe as found in its
, boripinal state Men and women
drcss exactly alike and are more near
" allied with the wild tribes Of pre-
historic Indians than r-Obably any
other inhabitants of the world.
Regarding the new ruin which he
fo,nd. DIR. Tozzcr states that there can
be no reasonable doubt of it's having
been the product of an ancient Maya
standardization which has contributed
50 much to the archaeological lore
known of those peoples ana times.
Some photographs Of these ruins were
taken for preservation at the Univer-
sity and during later time to come he
will return to study more fully the ST
lent reminders of 2 past which, appar-
emily, has left no record. Some of the
best preserved walls bear inscriptions
i'm hicroglyphs which have been proved,
in other cases. to be of Maya workman
ship. Few, however, are the written
records of the ancient races, DR.. TOZ-
ger says, although enough has been left
to place the race that made them in
their proper niche in the human family.
Relative tc the antiquity Of the inscrip-
tons found in the new ruins and else
where in Yucatar ard portions of Qua
temala, he believes that they can be
placed at least cOntemporaneOusly with
the beginning of the Christian era.
This is a matter which has engrossed
the attention of many antiquarians,
DR.. T'oZzer states, and it is almost a
matter of guesswOrk to place the age
of the buildings in any given time.
A theory to which DR.. Tozzer, in
common with other archaeologists,
holds is that the inscriptions found on
so many Mexican ruins were the work
of the ancient pagan priests who had
all learning and who were chary of
giving it to the common classes Of pee
pie. This theory finds more or less
substantiaJion in the fact that while
the present-day Lacandone and Maya
Indians preserve their language and
religious customs, which are known to
be in conformity with those practised
by their forbears. they know or profess
to know absolutely nothing concerning
the origin of the inscriptions and hier-
ogiyphs which have proved such a
source of work to present-day anti
quarians. According to Dr. Tozzer the
priests placed the writings as guides for
priests following them, and as cabalis-
tic marks Indicating either religious
truths or eras of history which it was
desirable that they should pass along.
What destroyed the priests and left the
common class is unknown, and people
can but conjecture now that they must
have been wiped out By their own peo-
pie or so prosecuted that their power
was lost, and thus was lost the reading
of the Inscriptions. In either event, the
theory holds good. and none more rea-
sonable has so far been preached.
DIR. Tozzer has explored more of the
interior and dosolate regions of Yucca
tan and Guatemala than probably any
other deliver into the race records of the
past. He has studied and mastered
several MAYA dialects which were
found to hold good when it came to
talking with The L1clndonc Indians and
is con -crsant with all the intarmXture
of Spanish and Indian tongues which
have taken place since the Spaniards
conquered portions Of Yucatan and in
troduced their religions and language.
Though the Spaniards found easy work
along the coast they did not penetrate
into he interior of the country and
thus the present day Indians We're left
alone to send DOWN their children in
accordance WITH the religious and do
mes tic methods and customs which had
become part of their faith through
generations of usage.
From the Mexican Herald)