The North Americans of Antiquity: Their origin, migrations, and type of civilization consideredShort, John T. (John Thomas)
History
The North Americans of Antiquity: Their origin, migrations, and type of civilization considered
Short, John T. (John Thomas)
Indians -- Origin; Indians of Mexico -- Antiquities; Indians of North America -- Antiquities
Enoch, of Rockford, Ill., discovered a tablet in a mound situated on
the bank of Rock River, five miles south of Rockford. The “Rockford
Tablet” created quite a sensation at first because it was thought to
bear upon its face several symbols found upon the Mexican Calendar
stone. However, a thorough investigation of its claims prove it to be
a fraud, no doubt placed in the mound where discovered for the purpose
of deception. Mr. J. Moody of Mendota, Ill., in referring to the twelve
symbols of the tablet said to be Mexican, remarks: “Six are nearly
exact counterparts of that number of Lybian characters which I find
represented in Priest’s _American Antiquities_. * * * From a comparison
of the Rockford Tablet with the plates in the work referred to above,
the inference is almost irresistible that the engraver had a copy of
Priest’s _American Antiquities_ before him while doing his work.” (See
_Congrès International des Américanistes, Luxembourg_, 1877. Tome ii,
p. 160.)
The same sagacity which chose the neighborhood of St. Louis for these
works, covered the site of Cincinnati with an extensive system of
circumvallations and mounds. Almost the entire space now occupied by
the city was utilized by the mysterious builders in the construction
of embankments and tumuli built upon the most accurate geometrical
principles, and evincing keen military foresight.[30] Dr. Daniel Drake
described these works in 1815, and many others subsequently.[31] The
most important discovery made among these remains was that of the
“Cincinnati Tablet” in 1841. This singular relic was taken from a large
mound formerly thirty-five feet high, removed at the above date from
the extension of Mound Street across Fifth Street. When found, it was
lying on a level with the original surface under the skull of a much
decayed skeleton, with two polished, pointed bones about seven inches
long, and a bed of charcoal and ashes. This stone in all probability
served the double purpose of a record of the calendar and a scale
for measurement.[32] Mr. E. Gest, the courteous owner of the tablet,
provided the accompanying cuts expressly for this work, regarding them
as the first correct representations of the stone.
[Illustration: Cincinnati Tablet. (Front.)]
[Illustration: Cincinnati Tablet. (Back.)]
[Illustration: Dagger ½ Size. (Nat. Mus.)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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