The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished Races

Chapter 16

Chapter 162,517 wordsPublic domain

First knowledge of Peru—Expeditions of Pizarro—Geography of Peru—But a small part of it inhabitable—The tribes of ancient Peru—How classified—Sources of our knowledge of Peru—Garcillaso De La Vega—Origin of Peruvian civilization—The Bolson of Cuzco—Historical outline—Their culture—Divided into phratries and gentes—Government—Efforts to unite the various tribes—Their system of colonies—The roads of the Incas—The ruins of Chimu—The arts of the Chimu people—The manufacture of Pottery—Excavation at Ancon—Ruins in the Huatica Valley—The construction of a Huaca—The ruins at Pachacamac—The Valley of the Canete—The Chincha Islands—Tiahuanuco—Carved gateway—The Island of Titicaca—Chulpas—Aboriginal Cuzco—Temple of the Sun—The Fortress—General remarks.

1. Pyramids and Sphinx. 2. Paleozoic Forest. 3. The Pterodactyl. 4. Ichthyosauri. 5. The Labyrinthodon. 6. The Paleotherium. 7. Miocene Mammals. 8. Cut Bones of a Whale. 9. Mastodon. 10. Map of Europe. 11. Scratched Stone. 12. Interglacial Bed. 13. Paleolithic Flints. 14. Flint Implements. 15. Section of Gravel-pit. 16. Paleolithic Flint, England. 17. Flint Flakes. 18. Spear-head Type. 19. Hatchet Type. 20. Neanderthal Man. 21. Gailenreuth. 22. Spear-head, Lower Breccia, Kent’s Cavern. 23. Flake, Cave-earth, Kent’s Cavern. 24. Spear-head, Cave-earth, Kent’s Cavern. 25. Harpoon, Pin, Awl, and Needle, Kent’s Cavern. 26. Robin Hood Cave. 27. Horse incised on Piece of Rib. 28. Bone Implements, Cresswell Crags. 29. Bone Implements, Dordogne Caves. 30. Rock Shelter, Bruniquel. 31. Whale and Seal incised on Bone. 32. Cave-bear incised on Slate. 33. Glove incised on Bear’s Tooth. 34. Reindeer grazing. 35. Group of Reindeers. 36. Man, and other Animals. 37. Fish incised on Bear’s Tooth. 38. Ibex. 39. Mammoth, La Madeline Cave, France. 40. Reindeer carved on Dagger Handle. 41. Flower on Reindeer’s Horn. 42. Ornamented Reindeer Horn, use unknown. 43. Eskimo Art. 44. The Mammoth. 45. Antarctic Ice-sheet. 46. Earth’s Orbit. 47. Lake Village. 48. Foundation Lake Village. 49. Irish Crannog. 50. Fortified Camp, Cissbury. 51. Neolithic Axes. 52. Neolithic Weapons. 53. Hafted Hatchet in Sheath. 54. Ax in Sheath. 55. Sheath with two Hatchets. 56. Chisels in Sheath. 57. Horn Hoe. 58. Miner’s Pick. 59. Polishing Stone. 60. Neolithic Boat-making. 61. Neolithic Cloth. 62. Spindle Whorl. 63. Weaver’s Comb. 64. Chambered Burial Mound. 65. Dolmen, England. 66. Dolmen, France. 67. Dolmen, once covered with Earth. 68. Menhir. 69. Stone Circle, England. 70. Chambered Tomb, France. 71. Bronze Axes, First Form. 72. Bronze Axes, Second Form. 73. Bronze Axes, Third Form. 74. Hammer. 75. Chisel. 76. Bronze Knives. 77. Crescent, use unknown. 78. Bracelet. 79. Hair-pin. 80. Bronze Pendants. 81. Necklace and Beads. 82. Ornamental Designs. 83. Bronze Sickle. 84. Clay Vessel and Support. 85. Bronze Weapons. 86. Mold. 87. Burial Mound. 88. Avebury Restored. 89. Stonehenge Restored. 90. Ancient Tower, Scotland. 91. Ornaments. 92. Gold Ornament. 93. Swords. 94. Ornamental Sword-sheath. 95. Lance-head and Javelin. 96. Shields. 97. Gallic Coin. 98. Imaginary Section of Table Mountain. 99. Calaveras Skull. 100. Implement found in Loess. 101. Spear-shaped Paleolithic Implement. 102. Paleolithic Implement, Argillite. 103. Stone Implement. 104. Mound Prairie. 105. Mound and Circle. 106. Altar Mound. 107. Plan and Section of Altar. 108. Burial Mounds. 109. Burial Mounds. 110. Grave Creek Mound. 111. Cross-section St. Louis Mound. 112. Terraced Mound. 113. Elevated Square, Marietta. 114. Cahokia Mound. 115. Temple Mound inclosed in a Circle. 116. Etowah Mound, Georgia. 117. Hill Mounds. 118. Miamisburg Mound. 119. Effigy Mounds. 120. Elephant Mound. 121. Emblematic Mounds. 122. Grazing Elks—Fox in the distance. 123. Eagle Mound. 124. Hawks and Buffaloes. 125. Goose and Duck. 126. Turtle. 127. Salamander and Muskrat. 128. Man-shaped Mound. 129. Emblematic Mound Inclosure. 130. Bird Mound surrounded by a Stone Circle. 131. The Big Serpent Mound. 132. The Alligator Mound. 133. High Bank Works. 134. Square and Circle Embankment. 135. Square inscribed in a Circle. 136. Circle and Ditch. 137. Mound Builders’ Works, Newark, Ohio. 138. Eagle Mound. 139. Gateway of Octagon. 140. Observatory Mound. 141. Works at Marietta, Ohio. 142. Graded Way, Piketon, Ohio. 143. Fortified Hill, Hamilton, Ohio. 144. Fort Ancient, Ohio. 145. Fortified Headland. 146. Inclosure, Northern Ohio. 147. Square Inclosure, Northern Ohio. 148. Sacrificial Pentagon. 149. Festival Circle. 150. Crescent Works. 151. Triangular Works. 152. Arrow Points. 153. Ax found in a Mound. 154. Weapons of Stone from Tennessee. 155. Copper Ax. 156. Copper Bracelets. 157. Ancient Mine, Michigan. 158. Sculptured Face. 159. Face of a Female. 160. Beaver. 161. Otter. 162. Birds on Pipes. 163. Group of Clay Vessels. 164. Bowls with Human Faces.

165. Bottle-shaped Vessels (Smith. Inst.) 166. Water Cooler. 167. Pottery Vessels. 168. Agricultural Implements. 169. Idols. 170. Map of the Pueblo Country. 171. Zuñi. 172. Ground Plan. 173. End View. 174. Old Zuñi. 175. Inscription Rock. 176. Wolpi. 177. Watch Tower. 178. Ruins at Aztec Springs. 179. Ruins in the McElmo Cañon. 180. Tower on the Rio Mancos. 181. Ruins in the Hovenweep Canyon. 182. Two-storied House in the Mancos Cañon. 183. View of the Cliff in which the House is Situated. 184. Plan of the House. 185. Doorway of the House. 186. Room of the House. 187. Cliff Town, Rio Mancos. 188. Caves used as Houses, Rio Mancos. 189. Ruins in the San Juan Cañon. 190. Cave Town. 191. Battle Rock, McElmo Cañon. 192. Restoration of Pueblo Bonito. 193. Plan of Pueblo Bonito. 194. Different Styles of Masonry. 195. Room in Pueblo Bonito. 196. Casa Grandes, on the Gila. 197. Indented and Corrugated Ware. 198. Painted Pueblo Pottery. 199. Long House of the Iroquois. 200. Stockaded Onondaga Village. 201. Pomeiock. 202. Mandan Village. 203. Ruins near the La Platte, Valley of the San Juan. 204. Stone Mask, found in Tennessee. 205. Map of Mexico. 206. Bas-relief Tezcuco. 207. Montezuma’s Bath. 208. Aqueduct, Tezcocingo. 209. Teotihuacan. 210. Casas Grandes. 211. Quemada. 212. Pyramid of Cholula. 213. Xochicalco. 214. Enlarged View of the Ruins. 215. Wall at Mitla. 216. Ornamentation at Mitla. 217. Hall at Mitla. 218. Papantla. 219. Tusapan. 220. Map of Central America. 221. Ruins of Copan. 222. Statue, Copan. 223. Statue, Copan. 224. Hieroglyphics, Top of Altar. 225. Bas-relief, East Side of Altar. 226. Portrait, Copan. 227. Plan of Palenque. 228. General View of Palace, Palenque. 229. Cross-section of Palace, Palenque. 230. Trefoil Arch. 231. Entrance to Principal Court. 232. Stone Tablet. 233. Palace, Palenque. 234. Ruined Temple of the Three Tablets. 235. Elevation Temple of the Three Tablets. 236. The Beau-relief. 237. Temple of the Cross. 238. Tablet of the Cross. 239. The Sun. 240. Maler’s Cross. 241. Statue, Palenque. 242. Bas-relief, on the left hand of the Altar of the Cross. 243. Plan of Uxmal. 244. The Governor’s House, Uxmal. 245. Two-headed Monument, Uxmal. 246. End View. 247. Ground Plan. 248. Figure over the Doorway. 249. Ornament over the Doorway. 250. Elephant’s Trunk. 251. Plan of Nunnery. 252. Room in Nunnery. 253. Façade, Southern Building. 254. Façade, Eastern Building. 255. Serpent Façade, Western Building. 256. Temple, Uxmal. 257. Arch, Kabah. 258. Zayi. 259. Plan of Zayi. 260. Gateway at Labna. 261. Castillo, Chichen-Itza. 262. Gymnasium at Chichen-Itza. 263. Ring. 264. Building at end of Gymnasium. 265. Painted Stucco Work. 266. Queen Consulting the H-men. 267. Chaac-mol. 268. Bearded Itza. 269. Arizona Ruin. 270. Tribute Sheet. 271. Yucatan Axes. 272. Carpenter’s Ax. 273. Mexican Carpenter. 274. Copper Tool. 275. Huitzilopochtli. 276. Mexican Numeration Signs. 277. Maya and Mexican Day Signs. 278. Maya Months. 279. Calendar Stone. 280. Sign of Rain. 281. Sign of a Cycle. 282. Indian Picture-writing. 283. Chapultepec. 284. Amen. 285. Historical Sheet. 286. Chilapi Tribute. 287. Child-training. 288. Migration Chart. 289. Landa Alphabet. 290. Maya T. 291. Maya Picture-writing. 292. Hieroglyphics, Tablet of the Cross. 293. Map of Peru. 294. Fortress, Huatica Valley. 295. Ruins at Pachacamac. 296. Relics from Guano Deposits. 297. Burial Towers. 298. Palace. 299. Section of Palace Walls. 300. Ornamentation on Walls. 301. Adobe Ornament. 302. Gold and Silver Vases. 303. Bronze Knives and Tweezers. 304. Water-jar. 305. Water-jars from Ancon. 306. Cloth Found in Grave. 307. Wall in Huatica Valley. 308. Burial Mound, or Huaca. 309. Fortress Mound. 310. Temple Wall. 311. Fortress, Huatica Valley. 312. General View of Pachacamac. 313. View of the Temple. 314. Relics from Graves at Pachacamac. 315. Relics found buried in Guano Deposits. 316. Prehistoric Pottery-ware. 317. Silver Cylinder Head. 318. Terrace Wall, Tiahuanuco. 319. Method of joining Stones, Tiahuanuco. 320. Gateway, Tiahuacuno. 321. Ruins on the Island of Titicaca. 322. Ruins, Island of Coati. 323. Burial Tower. 324. Terrace Wall at Cuzco. 325. Temple of the Sun. 326. Fortress Wall. 327. Section of Fortress Wall. 328. Quippos.

Full-page Engravings

1. Cliff Houses, Rio Mancos Cañon. 2. Engraved Title Page. 3. Paleozoic Forest. 4. Rock Shelter at Bruniquel. 5. Antarctic Ice Sheet. 6. Lake Village, Switzerland. 7. Pueblo of Zuñi. 8. Cliff-town, Rio Mancos. 9. Restoration of Pueblo Bonito. 10. Painted Pueblo Pottery. 11. Pyramid of Cholula. 12. Copan Statue. 13. General View of Palace. 14. Bas-relief on the left-hand of the Altar of the Cross. 15. Plan of Uxmal. 16. The Governor’s House, Uxmal. 17. Room in Nunnery. 18. Zayi. 19. Castillo, Chichen-Itza. 20. Tribute Sheet. 21. Huitzilopochtli. 22. Calendar Stone. 23. Historical Sheet. 24. Pachacamac.

IN this volume the author has sought to lay before the reader a description of life and times lying beyond the light of history. This is indeed an extensive subject, and calls for some explanation, both as to the general design of the work and what steps have been taken to secure correct information.

History is a word of varied import. In general, when we talk about history, we mean those accounts of past events, times, and circumstances of which we have written records. Not necessarily meaning alphabetical writing, because hieroglyphic records have furnished much true history. Hieroglyphic writing, which long preceded alphabetical writing, is itself a comparatively recent art. In no country do we find any records carrying us further back than a few thousand years before the Christian era. We have every reason to believe that the historical part of man’s life on the globe is but an insignificant part of the whole. This historic period is not the same in all countries. It varies from a few centuries in our own country to a few thousands of years in Oriental lands. In no country is there a hard and fast line separating the historic period from the prehistoric. In the dim perspective of years the light gradually fades away, the mist grows thicker and thicker before us, and we at last find ourselves face to face with the unknown past.

This extensive period of time is not, however, utterly lost to us. We have simply to gather our information in some other way. Enthusiastic explorers, digging beneath the ashes of Vesuvius, have brought to light the remains of an entombed city. Of this city we indeed have historic records, but even if all such records had long since disappeared, we would gather much information as to the nationality of the inhabitants, their customs, and manners, by a simple inspection of the relics themselves. Everywhere over the earth, entombed beneath the feet of the living, or crumbling on the surface, are the few relics of a past far antedating the relics of Pompeii. They are the proofs positive that some people inhabited the land in far away times.

Our object is to gather together the conclusions of the scientific world as to primitive man. We wish to see how far back in the geological history of the globe we can find evidence of man’s existence, and we desire to learn his surroundings and the manner of his life. There can be no more important field than for us to thus learn of the past. To read the story of primitive man, to walk with him the earth in ages long ago, with him to wage war on the huge animals of a previous epoch, to recede with him before the relentless march of the ice of the Glacial Age, to watch his advance in culture, to investigate whether there are any races of men now living which are the direct descendants of this primeval man.

The author makes no claims to original investigations. He trusts, however, it will not be considered impertinent for a mere loiterer in the vestibule of the temple of science to attempt to lay before others the results of the investigations of our eminent scholars. He has endeavored faithfully to perform this task. As far as possible technical language has been avoided. This is because he has written not for the distinctively scientific men, but rather for the farmer, the mechanic, and the man of business. Constant references are made to the authorities consulted. The reader his a right to know who vouches for the statements made in the text.

The pleasantest part of an author’s duty is to return thanks for assistance. After the manuscript was prepared with what care could be bestowed on it, it was determined to submit it to some of our best American scholars for criticism. Accordingly, each of the gentlemen named on the title page were requested to review one or more chapters. As far as possible, each one was asked to review that chapter or chapters for which, either by reason of the position they held, or the interest they were known to take in such subjects, they would by common assent be acknowledged as eminently fitted to sit in judgment. In justice to them, it should be stated that they were not expected to concern themselves with the literary merits or demerits of the manuscript, but to criticise the scientific statements made therein. To each and all of these gentlemen the author would acknowledge his deep obligations.

We are indebted to Rev. J. P. MacLean, the well-known archaeologist, both for many valuable suggestions, and for the use of wood-cuts on pages 60, 138 and 396. We are also under obligation to Rev. S. D. Peet, editor of the _American Antiquarian,_ for cuts illustrative of the effigy mounds of Wisconsin. The officials of the Smithsonian Institution, and the Bureau of Ethnology have our thanks for many cuts, for which credit is given them throughout the work.

Finally, the author wishes to say that it was the intention to make this work the joint production of the author and his partner, Mr. S. C. Ferguson, but before any progress was made it was deemed advisable to change the programme. While the literary work has all been performed by the author, the many details necessarily connected with the publication of a book were attended to by Mr. Ferguson.

E. A. ALLEN.

Cincinnati, _January_ 1, 1885.

Ruins of Cannar

T HOU unrelenting Past! Strong are the barriers round thy dark domain— And fetters, sure and fast, Hold all that enter thy unbreathing reign.

Far in thy realm, withdrawn, Old empires sit in sullenness and gloom; And glorious ages, gone, Lie deep within the shadow of thy womb.

Full many a mighty name Lurks in thy depths, unuttered, unrevered: With thee are silent fame, Forgotten arts, and wisdom disappeared. W. C. BRYANT.

The Prehistoric World