CHAPTER III

THE STRANGE CITIES OF EARLY MEXICO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Principal prehistoric monuments--Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan-- Pyramids of Teotihuacan--Toltec sun-god--Pyramid of Cholula--Pyramids of Monte Alban--Ruins of Mitla--Remarkable monoliths and sculpture-- Beautiful prehistoric stone-masonry--Ruins of Palenque--Temple of the Sun, and others--Stone vault construction--Tropical vegetation--Ruins of Yucatan--Maya temples--Architectural skill--Temples of Chichen-Ytza--Barbaric sculpture--Effect of geology on building--The Aztec civilisation--Land and social laws--Slavery--Taxes, products, roads, couriers--Analogy with Peru--Aztec homes and industries--War, human sacrifice, cannibalism--History, hieroglyphics, picture-writing-- Irrigation, agriculture, products--Mining, sculpture, pottery--Currency and commerce--Social system--Advent of the white man.