Chapter 2

But it has been ascertained that there were older inhabitants in the west of Europe, than these very Celts, Cantes and Atlantes. The _Creons_ a superior race that erected the annual monumental pillars of Carnac in Brittany, the Cunis or Cynetes, that dwelt at the S. W. of Spain and Portugal, the degraded Vassals or outcasts of the Celts called _Cacoux_, _Cahets_, _Cunigos_, whose posterity is not yet quite extinct. The Eskuaras now called Basks and Gascons, but formerly Cantabrians were the Cantas of the river Ebro, they had great affinities of Language with many American nations. The Atlantic monuments may be distinctly traced from Syria and Greece to Lybia, Morocco, _&_c. Immense mounds have been found as far South as the river Nun. Of these Atlantes their countries, deeds of yore, &c. much has been written, and much more remains to be elucidated: they can be traced Eastward as far as the very Centre of Asia, once called Turan, through Scythia, in the North and Persia in the South, to the utmost verge of Africa and Europe Westwards. Next to the famed Island Atlantis, or rather _Megatlantides_ which was America! the smaller Atlantis seated midway between the two continents, has been supposed to have sunk when the Volcanos of the Azores, Canaries and other African Islands did explode.

The American Nations connected with these were widely scattered in America, and chiefly wherever the earliest monuments were spread, even as far as Chili to the South, in Guyana to the East under the name of _Atures_ or _Atules_, and Northwards as far as Ohio and Illinois. It is easy to trace surprising analogies of Languages between the early languages of South Europe and North Africa, with the Chilians, Peruvians, Muyzcas, Haytians, Tulans or Tol-tecas, &c., and many other pre-eminent Nations of this Continent.

By the useful process of generalization we may collect the following important results concerning our monuments: 1. They are scattered all over Amer. from lat. 45d. N. to 45d. S. of the Equator, thus occupying 90d. of latitude, which is no where else the case.--2. They chiefly occupy a flexuose belt from our great Lakes to Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Quito, Peru and Chili.--3. There are few or none in Boreal America, the Eastern Shores of it as far as Virginia, the Western as far as California, nor in the Antilles, Guyana, Orinoco, Maragnon, Brazil, Paraguay and Patagonia; although some of these regions not having yet been properly explored may hereafter offer some likewise.--4. Those known from our Eastern Shores, the Antilles and Brazil are few, and of a peculiar character, distinct from the general style of the others. In New Hampshire concentric castramations have been found as in Peru, but not of stone nor shaped like stars. In Massachusetts inscribed rocks are met with, those of Pennsylvania East of the mountains are rude and small, and such they are as far as Virginia and Carolina. In the Antilles or West Indies, they are chiefly caves, temples and tombs. In Brazil we know of but few, but they are of stone and peculiar style.--5. Therefore the main monuments and structures occupy only one half of America or even less, they are mostly thickly scattered in the fertile regions near rivers, from Ohio to Florida, from Missouri to Texas, from Sonora to Honduras, from Bogota to Chili, &c. being often on high grounds and mountains, table lands and valleys, seldom in the low plains.

Such are the most interesting by number and extensive spreading locations. Yet there are among them various ages and styles, the Floridan or North American, the Mexican or Anahuac, the Guatimalan or Tulan, the Peruvian or Inca--Series, are all somewhat different, mingled with others of earlier or various ages--in Peru the _Pucaras_ or oldest fortified cities in a stellate form are of earliest ages, the ruins of Tiahuanaco with sculptures of a remote period, the ruins of Chimu of another style yet, all different from the style of the Incas. In central America, the Cave-temples--the fortified cities and Palaces--and the _Teocalis_ or Pyramids and Towers, offer as many eras and styles.

In North America we have also at least three great Eras and styles of monuments, the first or most rude, somewhat similar to that of the Antilles; excavations, small houses &c. and this, although so rude, is found to have lasted till very lately, as our log-house style is lasting with us along with large stone buildings. 2. A primitive style using earth and wood or rough stones for large and fine structures, temples, _&_c. 3. The most refined employing cut stones and ornaments, &c., rare in the North, but becoming more common towards Mexico.

We may assert in ultimate result that America had no Monuments of Grecian or Roman structures, except such as belong to primitive Italy and Greece, ascribed to their ancestors as a different race the Pelagic, Curetes, Hyantes, Taulantes, Aones, and other similar old tribes or nations, long previous to Roman power and Grecian refinement, above all no colonnades and no baked bricks. None of our monuments were like the best Celtic structures, but rather similar to the earliest or ruder Celtic style, if not perhaps previous, such as standing or rocking stones, rough pillars and pilasters, tumuli and mounds, circular and angular areas and temples. None were like the Egyptian temples and pyramids, our American pyramids being rather in stages, as iu[TN-12] Ethiopia, Assyria, India, &c., or in huge platforms bearing temples and palaces, as in Balbec and Persepolis, but by no means so ornamented, nor with such huge stones. None were like the Tyrinthian or Titanic style, but rather a modification of it. None like the slender pillars and round towers of India, Persia, Ireland. None like the modern structure of the Christians, Mahometans, Budhists, Chinese &c., no Gothic or Arabic style, nor domes were found. The inference cannot trace any of these religions to America by their peculiar structures.

While on the other side, we can assert and prove that the American monuments were more or less alike to. 1. The oldest monuments, square and circular platforms of all shapes and sizes, some as large as hills or even natural hills cut to shapes for altars, or support of temples and staged pyramids, _&_c., as are found from Celtica and Ireland to France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Russia, &c., from Morocco to Senegal, Lybia and Abyssinia; in Asia, from Natolia and the Trojan plain, to Syria and Arabia, Persia, Media around the Caspian, and even in India, Tartary and China; also, the _Morais_ of Polynesia. All of which were the primitive altars of early men or their imitation, in later times as in China.--2. Or like the Cave temples, scattered also from Ireland to India, found in Greece, Syria, Egypt, Persia, &c., sometimes like the excavated cities of the Troglodyte nations, found in Sicily, Crete, Cyprus, Syria, Arabia, Cabul at Bamiyan, &c.--3d. Or like the massive structures of stones of earliest ages, the _Norajes_ or Conical towers of Sardinia and the Balearic Islands, the angular towers of Lybia, &c. imitated in Peru, Brazil, Guatimala, Chiapa &c.--4th. Or like the fortified cities of oldest ages in Persia, India, Arabia, Turan, _&_c. imitated in Peru, and Central America, often with concentric inclosures or curious shapes, sometimes with arks or citadels or acropolis, as in Persia, Greece, Etruria &c.--5th. Or like the vast inclosures and sacred areas of temples, with peculiar cells or holy recesses, shrines, oracles, &c., as in India, China, Thibet, formerly in Syria, Egypt, Assyria, even like the old temples of Mecca and Solomon; such are found in Peru Tunca, Mexico, North America as far as Missouri, where most were of wood as were the first temples of Solomon, Tyre, Delphos, and are yet in China very often.

Then it is evident that the American Monuments are similar to the oldest and earliest of the Eastern Continent, or the modern ones that are yet built there on the primitive models. We have some late instances of it even in Europe, when the huge mound of Waterloo was erected after the battle of that name. Grecian buildings are often built now in Europe and America, the Gothic style has travelled from Arabia to Europe and is not yet quite out of use. The national altars of the Celestial Empire at Pekin in China are yet exactly similar to those of earliest times, and found in America.

Architecture and the various styles it has employed for monuments, temples, cities &c. have undergone several changes and improvements, from the rude imitations of a tent, or cottage, or hill, to that of pyramids, towers, pillars, colonnades, caves, _norajes_, _teocalis_, &c., from irregular inclosures to square, circular, octagon forms, from heaps of earth forming ditches, canals, to regular walled excavations. Styles of building are fluctuating with the Nations and times, taste and religion: some are occasionally revived or improved; yet they have a certain duration, location, or age, and origin somewhere. Nevertheless they may happen to be blended by the same people; our own modern civilization admits yet of the tents in camps, the loghouse, the shed, the hut, the cottage, the houses of wood, brick or stone, palaces and temples, theatres, Capitols, and negro huts! We must not be surprised to see the same incongruity and admixture in various parts of America in former times. Many tribes followed 300 years ago the style of 3000 years before, as yet partly done in China.

Every thing on earth follows the universal law of terrestrial mutations, monuments and arts, as well as languages and human features! they rise and fall like the nations, mingle or blend as our modern English nation and language formed out of many others. What diversity in any one of our cities in complexions, statures and features of men! there are more differences between some men of our own race, than between negroes, red or white men. White, black and bay horses, are not peculiar species, nor are men of different hues, hairs, eyes, noses, &c.

Inscriptions are monuments also, and of the highest value, even when we cannot read them. Some of these will be hereafter, since those of Egypt so long deemed inexplicable, have at last found interpreters. So it will be at a future day, with those of America. Few have been made known as yet, but there are many all over the range of the monumental regions. Those sculptured in the temples and palaces of _Otolum_ near Palenque, are not the only ones. Several in caves, or upon rocks, involve in rude painting, a symbolic meaning, to which we are obtaining a clue. Several nations of North America had a language of signs made or written; although known sometimes to but few, these signs or symbols prevailed from Origon[TN-13] to Chili--or else _Quipos_ as in China, were used as records, in coloured strings or knots, wampums, belts, collars. All these however, appear to belong to the first attempt of mankind to perpetuate ideas, they seem to have preceded the alphabets of India, Persia and Europe, or the vocal signs of China, although some of these date of the earliest ages. Tula, Oaxaca, Otolum, &c., had glyphs or a kind of combined alphabet, where the letters or syllables were blended into words, as in our anagrams, and not in serial order. A few traces of Alphabets have, however, been found in South America on the R. Cauca and elsewhere, which have not yet obtained sufficient atteution:[TN-14] that of Cauca given by Humboldt, is nearly Pelagic or Etruscan; traces of Runic signs were found in Carolina--other signs have occasionally been met in North America, but neglected.

Painted symbols or hieroglyphies,[TN-15] or sometimes abridged outlines of them, were used chiefly in Anahuac, from Panuco to Panama; in North America, from Florida to New Mexico, also in Cuba, Hayti, Yucatan, Bogota, Peru, by the Panos, Muyzcas and other nations. Those without any means to convey ideas could even in America, as in Scythia and Africa, use emblems or objects to which a peculiar meaning was applied, and trace rude pictures of them on trees or rocks.

The monuments connected with pictures, emblems, hieroglyphics, scattered in caves, on rocks, on cliffs above human reach--are very curious, and ought to be collected, sought for, and explained; they will all impart historical events. The rock of Taunton and a few others, have alone exercised the ingenuity of antiquarians, and perhaps to little purpose at yet, since the inscription has been ascribed by turns to the Phenicians, the Jews, the Atlantes, Norwegians or even to our modern tribes. It may not be properly understood until all the graphic systems of America are studied and explained. The late successful attempt of the Cherokis to obtain a syllabic alphabet for their language, proves that the Americans were not devoid of graphic ingenuity.

But the contents of mounds, graves, caves, &c., are also very interesting, affording us a clue to their purpose, and the arts of times when raised or inhabited. Many kinds of implements, ornaments, tools, weapons, vases, &c., have been found every where, displaying skill and taste. Idols and sculptures have given us the features and religious ideas of some nations. Astronomical stones and calendars have been found, recovered, and lost again, revealing peculiar systems of astronomy and chronology. We possess the oomplex[TN-16] calendars of the Tulans, Mexicans, Chiapans, Muyzcas, Peruvians, &c, that of the Talegas of North America, a dodecagone with one hundred and forty-four parts and hieroglyphics, was found on the banks of the Ohio, and has since been lost or hidden.

Humboldt's labors on American astronomy and his results coincide with those on antiquity to make the American systems quite different from the oriental, Hindu, Jewish, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Celtic systems of days, months, zodiac, and cycles; while they are more like those of Thibet, China, Japan, Lybia, Etruria, &c. At any rate the American systems were anterior to the admission of the week of seven days, being the fourth of a lunation, each day dedicated to a planet, and the Sabatical[TN-17] observance of the Jews based thereon. The American weeks were of three, five, nine, and even thirteen days, as in some parts of Asia and Africa, in Java, Thibet, China, Guinea. The week of five days appears the most ancient of all and the most natural, including exactly seventy-three weeks in the solar year, and sixty-nine in the lunar year; that of the three days is only the decimal part of a month; in China the long week of fifteen days prevails as yet being half a lunation or month.

Accounts of monuments with dry descriptions and measures, are often uninteresting, unless with figures and explanations to illustrate their nature and designs. The writer having himself surveyed many American sites of ancient cities, may hereafter describe and explain some of them, with or without figures. He has also collected accounts of similar monuments all over the earth, and will be able to elucidate thereby our own monuments. Meantime whoever wishes to become acquainted with such as have been made known in the United States alone, must consult a host of writers who have described a few, such as Soto, Charlevoix, Barton, Belknap, Lewis, Crevecoeur,[TN-18] Clinton, Atwater, Brekenridge, Nuttal, McCulloh, Bartram, Priest, Beck, Madison, James, Schoolcraft, Keating, &c.; and in the appendix to the Ancient History of Kentucky will be found my catalogue made in 1824. Such study in[TN-19] then a task, and requires the amending hand of a careful compiler at least, before we can even obtain the complete knowledge of what has been done with us already on this historical subject.

_Philadelphia, September, 1838._

FOOTNOTES:

[8-*] Letter to Col. Winthrop, in 2d vol. Archeologia Americana.

ADDITIONS.

1. The Mexican Antiquities have lately been illustrated in many splendid works, by Aglio, Kingsborough, Dupaix, Baraden, St. Priest, Nebel, Icaza, Gondra, Waldeck &c. In a clever review of these works (in the foreign review) it is distinctly asserted that the _Tul-tecas_ (people of Tul,) or American Atlantes, were quite a different people from the Later Mexican tribes, that their monuments are equal in interest to those of Egypt and Syria, with colossal and even Cyclopian structures--which agrees with my former statements, and I have traced them in America from Missouri to Chili, but their central seats and empires were from Mexico to Quito. Their great temple at Otolum near Palenque was equal to Solomon's temple. Their mythology was quite peculiar and Asiatic, their maindeity[TN-20] was _Hun-aku_ (first cause) comparable to _Anuki_ the Syrian Cybele, their Astronomy was antediluvian, the year of 360 days or 18 months of 20 days.

2. The first monuments of the United States may be ascribed to the _Talegas_, a northern branch of these Atlantes. The oldest monuments of Peru long before the Incas with those of Brazil and Oronoco are related thereto, and were erected by their Southern tribes, the _Atules_ and _Talahets_.

3. In a late work of Harcourt (1838) all these ancient monuments of America, Africa, Europe and Asia, are ascribed to the _Arkites_ saved at the flood of Noah; which was also the previous opinion of M'culloh in his American researches. But some Antiquaries are yet seeking in America traces of the _Adamites_.

4. The _Tulawas_ and _Telingas_ nations and languages of Decan of Southern India, are probably of Atlantic or Tulanic (Syn. of Turan or Tartary) descent; and these nations sent colonies furher[TN-21] east in early times to Polynesia and perhaps as far as America! yet the bulk of Oceanic population from Madagascar to Japan and Australia is of Hamite descent, by the regular structure of all the languages; while this seldom happens in America as in China and Tartary.

5. The late attempts of tracing analogies of origin and descent between the Chinese and Polynesian Nations, are quite vain. The Chinese Nations are evidently Asiatic and primitive akin to the Tartars and Turks (the modern Turans,) their language have the same inverse position, and monosylabic[TN-22] structure. The idea of Harcourt to deem the Chinese the real Semetic stock of Languages, is worthy of enquiry. He has proved that the _Obri_ (Hebrew) was in reality a Hamite language, the posterity of Abraham having adopted a dialect of the _Acuri_ (Assyrian) and _Xnoni_ (Canaanit;)[TN-23] but the Arabic languages and nations, so akin thereto must then also be Hamites! and the old Arabians alone were Semites.

5.[TN-24] Meantime the Turanic or Japhetic nations and languages (IFH meaning _widely spread_ is our Japhet) should be the real Turans and Atlantes, including the Medians, Caucasians, Hindus, Pelagians, Thracians, Slavonians, Goths, and nearly two thirds of the American Nations, the most civilized and powerful of them. But it appears to me that the Celts and Cantabrians were like the Etruscans and Phenicians of Hamite Origin. It is strange that all the brown or black nations of Africa, Asia and Oceania are also of similar descent.

7. In my work on the Ancient American Nations, may be seen which were the oldest or earliest in America, and to which other nations elsewhere they are most intimately connected. I have proved that two great nations of America the _Aruac_ including the Haytians and tribes from Florida to Patagonia, with the _Sekeh_ or old Chilians, having branches from Chili to Brazil; were certainly very akin in language with the ancient Greeks and Italians and Spaniards, or rather their ancestors the Pelagic, Oscan and Cantabrian Nations.

8. The American Atlantes of North America (Talegas)[TN-25] the Tols and Chontals of Anahuac and Central America, the Muyzcas of Tunca and Peru; with the ancient Peruvians of mixt origin, were certainly the most civilized nations of this continent, as their monuments prove it, and their languages are of Japhetic or Turanic structure, having their major affinities in Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Illyrians, Slavonians &c; but some also with the African Atlantes or ancient and modern Lybians, Getulians, Shellus _&_c.

9. The Guarani group of languages and nations in South America was most widely spread from Guyana to Paraguay, and all over Brazil. It is quite monosyllabic, with the Hamite or African structure, having its affinities all over Africa, where hardly any except the _Qua_ or Hottentot nation are of Chinese? or Turanic descent by structure of speech.

10. In North America, 4 widely different stocks of nations had the Hamite structure, the Floridian including _Chactas_, the _Wakons_ or Missourians, the _Ongwis_ or Iroquois, and the Uskimas or Esquimaux spread across the whole or[TN-26] Boreal America. This last stock is evidently akin to the Northern Asiatic Hamites such as the Fins, Slaves, Chudis, Ostiaks _&_c. The Wakons and Ongwis appear also Asiatic, akin to the Tonguz and other Northern Tartars; but the Chactas with the Natchez, Seminoles and akin tribes appear of Eastern descent, and find their parents in North Africa.

11. In my work on Historical Palingenesy or the restoration of ancient nations and languages presumed lost, I have been able to restore many of all the parts of the world (but chiefly America and Europe) in the same manner as I once did for the Haytian nation and language, whereby many historical links will be evolved and traced. My process is similar to that of Cuvier and the modern Paleontologists, who restore extinct animals by fragments of their bones. I do the same with extinct languages by fragments of their words and elements, discovered and put together.

12. In result the monumental evidences combine with the philological to descry and ascertain whatever is obscure in Ancient History. By their mutual help and accordance, with the use of acurate[TN-27] comparisons in both Hemispheres, we shall certainly be enabled to advance the Archeological and Historical knowledge of Yore, beyond our most sanguine expectation. The path is open and becoming easy to pursue; much therefore will be achieved by following the comparative process and discarding all the conjectural systems.

THE END.

Transcriber's Note

The following typographical errors were maintained in this version of the book.

Page Error TN-1 1 Cincinnatti should read Cincinnati TN-2 2 occured should read occurred TN-3 2 gradualy should read gradually TN-4 3 analize should read analyze TN-5 6 _t_emples should read temples TN-6 8 _hum_a_n_ should read human TN-7 8 globe; should read globe. TN-8 9 America should read America. TN-9 9 oontinent should read continent TN-10 10 Berhring's should read Behring's TN-11 14 language should read languages TN-12 18 iu should read in TN-13 21 Origon should read Oregon TN-14 22 atteution should read attention TN-15 22 hieroglyphies should read hieroglyphics TN-16 23 oomplex should read complex TN-17 23 Sabatical should read Sabbatical TN-18 24 CrevecOEur should read Crevecoeur TN-19 24 study in should read study is TN-20 25 maindeity should read main deity TN-21 26 furher should read further TN-22 26 monosylabic should read monosyllabic TN-23 26 Canaanit should read Canaanite TN-24 26 5. should read 6. TN-25 27 (Talegas) should read (Talegas), TN-26 28 or should read of TN-27 28 acurate should read accurate

The following words were inconsistently spelled or hyphenated.

Guatemala / Guatimala log-house / loghouse Tol-tecas / Tul-tecas &c / &c. / _&_c.