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
that any such analogies are to be found among the Maya groups.[548] M.
Viollet-le-Duc considers the monuments of Mexico, especially those of
Maya origin, to have been influenced by white and yellow races, the
former of the Aryan from the north-east, the latter the Turanian from
the north-west. He seems to find some analogy between ancient Japanese
temples (and quotes a description from Charlevoix, _Histoire du Japan_,
ed. 1754, tom. i, chap. x, p. 171) and those of ancient America. He
thinks that the style of architecture at Uxmal indicates clearly that
the first structures were of wood and resembled the style prevalent in
Japan. However, the wooden structures more properly originated with
the white races, while the use of stucco is characteristic of the
Turanian or Yellow races of the north-west. He thinks it certain that
Mitla and Palenque were influenced by a white race.[549] Señor Garcia
y Cubas has attempted to prove in a careful argument that the pyramids
of Teotihuacan were built for the same purposes as were the pyramids
of Egypt. He considers the analogy established in eleven particulars,
as follows: the site chosen is the same; the structures are oriented
with slight variation, the line through the centres of the pyramids
is in the astronomical meridian; the construction in grades and steps
is the same; in both cases the larger pyramids are dedicated to the
sun; the Nile has a “valley of the dead,” as in Teotihuacan there is
a “street of the dead;” some monuments of each class have the nature
of fortifications; the smaller mounds are of the same nature and for
the same purpose; both pyramids have a small mound joined to one of
their faces; the openings discovered in the Pyramid of the Moon are
also found in some Egyptian pyramids; the interior arrangement of the
pyramids is analogous.[550] Mr. Delafield by a less systematic argument
advocates the same theory. However, his capability to discern analogies
is not confined to a single structure, since in the pyramid of Cholula
and the teocalli of the city of Mexico he finds a counterpart to the
temple of Belus at Babylon, as described by Herodotus. The walls
around the hill at Xochicalco explain the use of similar embankments
at Circleville and Marietta in Ohio, while the order of the apartments
at Mitla bears a striking analogy to the arrangements of apartments
in the temples of upper Egypt. This and much more Mr. Delafield has
been able to discover, but unfortunately only with certainty to
his own mind.[551] Löwenstern is equally certain that the American
monuments were not constructed by a nation analogous to that which
built the pyramids of Egypt.[552] Ranking, on the other hand, finds
that Teotihuacan was named after the illustrious dead buried beneath
its pyramids, as was the custom in Egypt, but in this instance the
name is analogous to that of Thiautcan or Khan, the name of the grand
Khan of the Monguls and Tartars who occupied the throne of China at
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account