Antiquities, American.
A greater portion of objects which constitute American antiquities consist of the architectural and other remains of the handiwork of the aborigines who inhabited the continent before any of the present races appeared here and subjugated or displaced them; also the ruins occasioned by the
Spanish
[
186]
conquest.
These are chiefly, in Central and
South America, ruined temples, and, in
North America, rude earthworks, now overgrown with venerable forest trees which attest their antiquity.
In connection with those in the more southern regions, there are remains of elaborate carvings and ornamental pottery.
There are many features in common between the temples and other works of art in
Mexico,
Central America, and
Peru.
The explorations of
Stephens and
Catherwood (1840-43) revealed to the world vast remains of cities in
Central America, which were doubtless inhabited at the period of the conquest, 350 years ago. There they found carved monoliths and the remains of highly ornamented temples.
The monoliths at
Copan some antiquaries are disposed to rank, as to use, with those ruder ones at Stonchenge, in
England, and older ones in
Arabia.
The remains of Aztee art in
Mexico attest the existence of a high degree of civilization there at the period of their structure.
So, also, the ruins of the
Temple of the
Sun, at
Cuzco, in Peru, tell of great advancement in the arts under the empire of the Incas.
These remains occupy a living place on the borders of the historic period, but the mounds in
North America, showing much mathematical skill in their construction and ingenuity in their contents, have hitherto eluded the keen skill of antiquaries, who have sought in vain among prehistoric mysteries for a clew to the origin of the people who fashioned them.
See
Mound-builders.