The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-11-07

Discovery of an archaic pyramid
buried thousands Of years ago under
tons of volcanic ash, in the San Cut
cuilco hill, near Mexico City, pushes
human history In America back many
centuries and indicates that the early
populations of this land began the
mastery Of the material universe prob
ably quite as soon as did the prim
tive peoples surrounding the Medi
terranean sea, according to DR.. Byron
Cummings, director Of the Arizona
State museum who has charge Of the
excavations now being made by the
Mexican government.
This ancient structure found by Doc
tor Cummings in collaboration with DR..
Manuel Gamio, director of anthrOpol-
ogy and archaeology Of Mexico, says
a letter in the New York Post, Is COM
posed of chunks of unhewn volcanic
rock and rises In four terraces with
inclined walls from a base approx
imately 400 feet in diameter to height
Of about 100 feet, but is has not yet
mine the measurements more exactly.
Destroyed by Volcano.
''As In old Pompeii, the mighty
forces Of nature covered and sealed
the handiwork of man that it might
speak to future generations" says
Doctor Cummings, $50 here in the
southern end of the valley of Mexico,
lava from the ancient Ajusco volcano
has preserved chapter of human his
tory, although more primitive yet not
less interesting than the worn pave
ments and marble peristyles Of the
ancient city of the italian coast.
"Cufcuilco Is an illustration OF one
of the first pyramids reared by the
Of those tribes that adorned
Mexico with mighty pyramids and
before the first century Of our era.
This crude pyramid unembellished
and unadorned. vet massive and solid,
stands mute evidence that the native
American developed his masterful
architecture here on American soil.
The excavations show that the struc-
-ure had been covered with volcanic
mud and ashes so long before its final
burial by the lava from the AjuscO
,one that at that time abundant vege-
alton was growing on it.
Built Long Before Christ.
when we consider" Doctor Cum
nings exI ains, that this pyramid
must have been built before some great
Eruption In the vicinity sent forth its
leluging shower of ashes, lpud, and
,umice, and that this calamity Oc-
urred long before the flow from
AjuSro, which careful calculation
laces between two and three thou
and years ago, and that no polished
tone implements are found; that the
tone implements are grinding and
stones, faxed knives, borers, |
nd scrapers; that the pottery even |
ear the surface Is crude and archaic; |
hat the entire structure contains no
ewn stone and no cement or plaster
! any form. we realize that architec-
ure had its beginning in Mexico long
efore the Christian era.
GLOW long were the people Of Gull
uilco in developing the ability to rear
MS massive pyramid?" he asks.
how many centuries had
MS American branch Of the human
lmily struggled before they gained
efficient mastery of material things
nd sufficient social and political CO.
peration and organization to produce
1ch results? How many centuries
apsed between the building of Cui-
lilco and the ornate pyramid of
uetzalcoatl at Teotihucan which, Doc
II Gamio estimates, was built before
le First century A. D.?
Human progress" he points out,
las always been slow, and early
merican progress was no exception
his pyramid. then. opens up a chap
+ of human progress on this side Of
e Atlantic OF which men have
canned but which has never been
corded In authentic annals"