The Book of Mormon, as already stated, requires the evidence of the existence of a very ancient civilization in the north continent of America, with its central and most enduring monuments in our Central American states. Also the evidences of a later civilization somewhat overlaying and intermixed with the former; the monuments of these two civilizations, however, may be somewhat confused by the rise of another, though inferior civilization, during the thousand years immediately preceding the advent3 of the Spaniards in America, which had begun to raise itself out of that chaos4 of confusion into which things were thrown by the destruction of the Nephites and their government. Under these circumstances it may be extremely difficult to separate these antiquities and assign each group to its proper division. But this much we feel confident can be done; evidence can be adduced that such ancient civilizations did exist; that the monuments of one has overlaid and intermixed with the others; that the central location of the first was in our Central States of America, and so far as such evidence is adduced, to that extent the claims of the Book of Mormon will be sustained. In the presentation of such evidence I can only take the humble5 part of compiler of it from the writings of others, since I lay no claim to original investigation6 of the matter; and even in the work of presenting the utterances7 of conceded authorities upon the subject, one stands momentarily confused, not because of the lack of matter to present to the reader, but in the matter of selecting from the great mass those passages suitable for our limited space, and which shall be most direct and convincing. With so much by way of introduction, then, I present first of all:—
I.
The Evidence of the Existence of Ancient Civilizations in America.
Considering the vast extent of these remains8, [i. e. of ancient cities, pyramids and temples] spreading over more than half the continent, and that in Mexico, and South America, after the lapse9 of an unknown series of ages, they still retain much of ancient grandeur10 which "Time's effacing11 fingers" have failed to obliterate12. It is certainly no wild flight of the imagination to conjecture13 that in ancient times, even coeval14 with the spread of science in the east, empires may have flourished here that would vie in power and extent with the Babylonian, the Median, or the Persian; and cities that might have rivaled Nineveh, and Tyre, and Sidon; for of these empires and these cities, the plains of Asia now exhibit fewer, and even less imposing15 relics16, than are found of the former inhabitants of this country.[1]
We venture to say that the aboriginal17 inhabitants of our hemisphere have not till this day received their meed for ancient bravery, nautical18 skill, and wonderful attainments19 in geography and in every branch of material advancement20 and of civilization generally. Ancient prehistoric21 America was, indeed, a civilized22 world. * * * * * Proceeding23 from north to south, we find from distance to distance unmistakable traces of mighty24, skilful25, and learned nations that had either wholly disappeared from the face of the earth, or had become degenerated26 and degraded to such an extent as to be irrecognizable at the time of not only the Spanish, but even of the Northman [tenth century] discoveries. * * * * * The Mayas [Central America] were intellectual giants, indeed. The ruins of their vast public works, of their costly27 edifices28, of their sculptures and paintings, and of their finely carved symbolic29 writings attest30 the height of a civilization of which we might well be proud today. And yet all these evidences of a glorious past lay buried for long centuries before Columbus' discovery in the virgin31 forests of Yucatan. Palenque, Uxmal, Copan, and several other ruined cities of Central America are as grand and beautiful monuments on the cemeteries32 of the New World as are Troy, Babylon, and Thebes on those of the Old; and their antiquity33 does not seem to be less venerable. They certainly pertain34 to America's remotest period. They were ruins more than they are now, in the sixteenth century; the native of the neighboring region knew nothing of their origin, and no notice whatever of the existence of such cities appears in the annals of the surrounding civilized nations during the eight or nine centuries preceding the Spanish conquest. Bancroft is even of the opinion that the Maya grandeur was already at its height several centuries before Christ.[2]
After speaking of various evidences of civilization in America, Nadaillac remarks:
But we need not give any further account of these great discoveries. We must return to the companions of Cortez to tell of the new wonders which awaited them. Even in the most remote districts in the primeval forests covering Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras, and Yucatan, where, through the dense35 undergrowth a passage had often to be forced, axe36 in hand, statues, columns, hieroglyphics38, unoccupied villages, abandoned palaces, and stately ruins, rose on every side, mute witnesses of past ages and of vanished races. Everywhere the conquerors39 were met by tokens, not only of a civilization even more ancient and probably more advanced than that of the races they subjugated40, but also of struggles and wars, those scourges41 of humanity in every race and every clime.[3]
Continuing further on in his admirable work, the same writer says:
Undoubtedly42 America bears witness to a venerable past; and without admitting the claims of some recent authors who are of opinion that when Europe was inhabited by wandering savages43, whose only weapons were roughly hewn of stone, America was already peopled by men who built cities, raised monuments, and had attained44 to a high degree of culture, we must admit that their civilization and social organization can only have become what it was by degrees. * * * To erect45 the monuments of Mexico and Peru, the yet more ancient ones of Central America—the singular resemblance of which, in some particulars, to the temples and palaces of Egypt, strike the archaeologist—must have required skilled labor46, a numerous population, and an established priesthood, such as could have developed only during the lapse of centuries. * * * To sum up: multitudes of races and nations have arisen upon the American continent and have disappeared, leaving no trace, but ruins, mounds47, a few wrought49 stones, or fragments of pottery50.[4]
In the New World, mysterious mounds and gigantic earth-works arrest our attention. Here we find deserted51 mines, and there we can trace the sites of ancient camps and fortifications. The Indians of the prairies seem to be intruders on a fairer civilization. We find here evidences of a teeming52 population. In the presence of their imposing ruins, we can not think that nomadic53 savages built them. They give evidences rather of a people having fixed54 habitations, and seem to imply the possession of a higher civilization than that of the Indians. These questions demand solution; but how shall we solve the problem? Save here and there a deserted camp, or a burial mound48, containing perhaps articles of use or adornment55, all traces have vanished. Their earth-works and mounds are being rapidly leveled by the plow56 of modern times, and the scholar of the future can only learn from books of their mysterious builders. In Mexico, and further south, we find the ruins of great cities. To the student of antiquity, these far surpass in interest the ruined cities of the Nile or Euphrates valley. Babylon of old, with its walls, towers, and pleasure resorts, was indeed wonderful. In our own land cities, if not as ancient, yet fallen in more picturesque57 ruin, reward the labors58 of the explorer. Uxmal, Copan, and Palenque, invite our attention. Here are hieroglyphics in abundance, but no Rosetta Stone supplies the key by whose aid a Champollion can unravel59 the mystery.[5]
Closely enveloped60 in the dense forests of Chiapas, Guatemala, Yucatan, and Honduras, the ruins of several ancient cities have been discovered, which are far superior in extent and magnificence to any seen in Aztec territory. * * * Most of these cities were abandoned and more or less unknown at the time of the conquest. They bear hieroglyphic37 inscriptions61 apparently63 identical in character; in other respects they resemble each other more than they resemble the Aztec ruins—or even other and apparently later works in Guatemala, and Honduras. All these remains bear evident marks of great antiquity. Their existence and similarity, the occupation of the whole country at some remote period by nations far advanced in civilization, and closely allied64 in manners and customs, if not in blood and language. Furthermore, the traditions of several of the most advanced nations point to a widespread civilization introduced among a numerous and powerful people by Votan and Zamna, who, or their successors, built the cities referred to, and founded great allied empires in Chiapas, Yucatan, and Guatemala; and moreover, the tradition is confirmed by the universality of one family of languages or dialects spoken among the civilized nations, and among their descendants to this day.[6]
That the population of Central America (and in this term I include Mexico) was at one time very dense, and had attained to a high degree of civilization, higher even than that of Europe in the time of Columbus, there can be no question; and it is also probable, as I have shown, that they originally belonged to the white race.[7]
Finally, from all we can gather from this momentous66 subject, we are compelled from the overwhelming amount of evidence to admit that mighty nations, with almost unbounded empire, with various degrees of improvement, have occupied the continent, and that, as in the old world, empire has succeed empire, rising one out of the other, from the jarring interests of the unwieldly and the ferocious67 mass—so also in this.[8]
The foregoing is perhaps sufficient for the purpose of establishing the mere68 fact of the existence of extensive and highly developed civilization in America, especially as many of the quotations69 on some of the other divisions of the subject will also bear upon this point. I now take up the matter of the chief centers of those old civilizations.
II.
Chief Centers of Ancient American Civilization.
The following is from Baldwin's "Ancient America":
It has been said, not without reason, that the civilization found in Mexico by Spanish conquerors consisted, to a large extent, of "fragments from the wreck70 that befell the American civilization of antiquity." To find the chief seats and most abundant remains of the most remarkable71 civilization of this old American race, we must go still farther south into Central America and some of the more southern states of Mexico. Here ruins of many ancient cities have been discovered, cities which must have been deserted and left to decay in ages previous to the beginning of the Aztec supremacy72. Most of these ruins were found buried in dense forests, where, at the time of the Spanish conquest, they had been long hidden from observation.[9]
Marcus Wilson, in speaking of the central location of the ancient American civilization and its probable "radiating points," says:
It is believed that the western shores of this continent, and perhaps both Mexico and Peru—equally distant from the equator, and in regions the most favorable for the increase and the support of human life, were the radiating points of early American civilization; from which, as from the hearts of empire, pulsation73 after pulsation sent forth74 their streams of life throughout the whole continent. But the spread of civilization appears to have been restricted, as we might reasonably expect to find it, to those portions of the continent where the rewards of agriculture would support a numerous population. Hence, following the course of the civilization, by the remains it has left us, we find it limited by the barren regions of upper Mexico, and the snows of Canada on the north, and the frosts of Patagonia on the south; and while in Mexico and Peru are found its grandest and most numerous monuments, on the outskirts75 they dwindle76 away in numbers and in importance. [10]
In the Central American region of the western continent are found ruins of what are pronounced by all scholars to be the highest civilization, and the most ancient in time, of any in the New World. There it arose, flourished, and tottered77 to its fall. Its Glory had departed, its cities were a desolation, before the coming of the Spaniards. * * * * * The most important ruins are in the modern states of Honduras, Guatemala, Chiapas, and especially Yucatan, the northern portion of this peninsula being literally78 studded with them. The river Usumacinta, and its numerous tributaries79 flowing in a northern direction through Chiapas, is regarded as the original home of the civilization whose ruins we are now to describe. From whence the tribes came that first settled in this valley is as yet an unsettled point. We notice that we have here another instance of the influence that fertile river valleys exert upon tribes settling therein. The stories told us of the civilization that flourished in primitive80 times in the valley of the Euphrates and the Nile are not more wonderful—the ruins perhaps not more impressive—than are the traditions still extant, or the material remains fallen in picturesque ruins, of the civilization that once on a time held sway in the Usumacinta valley.[11]
Wherever there was a center of civilization, that is, wherever the surroundings favored the development of culture, tribes of different stocks enjoyed it to nearly an equal degree, as in central Mexico and Peru. By them it was distributed, and thus shaded off in all directions.[12]
A brief description of some of these ruins of Central America cannot fail at this point to be both instructive and interesting. I begin with the description of Copan which, by mutual81 consent of authorities, we may regard as one of the most famous, as also the most ancient, of American ruins.[13]
COPAN.
The ruins are situated82 in the west part of the modern state of Honduras, on the left bank of the Copan river, which empties into the Montague. The name Copan is applied83 to the ruins because of their vicinity to an adjoining hamlet of that name, so that Copan is not to be regarded as the true name of the ancient city. And now I quote the description from the works of John L. Stephens to whom the world is chiefly indebted for its knowledge of Central American ruins. I omit, however, the references to plans and engravings which occur in his excellent work:
The extent along the river, as ascertained84 by monuments still found, is more than two miles. There is one monument on the opposite side of the river, at the distance of a mile, on the top of a mountain two thousand feet high. Whether the city ever crossed the river, and extended to that monument, it is impossible to say. I believe not. At the rear is an unexplored forest, in which there may be ruins. There are no remains of palaces or private buildings, and the principal part is that which stands on the bank of the river, and may, perhaps, with propriety85 be called the Temple.
The temple is an oblong enclosure. The front or river wall extends on a right line north and south six hundred and twenty-four feet, and it is from sixty to ninety feet in height. It is made of cut stones, from three to six feet in length, and a foot and a half in breadth. In many places the stones have been thrown down by bushes growing out of the crevices86, and in one place there is a small opening, from which the ruins are sometimes called by the Indians, Las Ventanas, or the windows. The other three sides consist of ranges of steps and pyramidal structures, rising from thirty to one hundred and forty feet in height on the slope. The whole line survey is two thousand eight hundred and sixty-six feet, which, though gigantic and extraordinary for a ruined structure of the aborigines, that the reader's imagination may not mislead him, I consider it necessary to say, is not so large as the base of the great pyramid of Ghizeh. * *
Near the southwest corner of the river wall and the south wall is a recess87, which was probably once occupied by a colossal88 monument fronting the water, no part of which is now visible; probably it has fallen and been broken, and the fragments have been buried or washed away by the floods in the rainy season. Beyond are the ruins of two small pyramidal structures, to the largest of which is attached a wall running along the west bank of the river; this appears to have been one of the principal walls of the city; and between the two pyramids there seems to have been a gateway89 or principal entrance from the water.
The south wall runs at right angles to the river, beginning with a range of steps about thirty feet high, and each step about eighteen inches square. At the southeast corner is a massive pyramidal structure one hundred and twenty feet high on the slope. On the right are other remains of terraces and pyramidal buildings; and here also was probably a gateway, by a passage about twenty feet wide, into a quadrangular area two hundred and fifty feet square, two sides of which are massive pyramids one hundred and twenty feet high on the slope.
At the foot of these structures, and in different parts of the quadrangular area, are numerous remains of sculpture. At one point is a colossal monument richly sculptured, fallen, and ruined. Behind it fragments of sculpture, thrown from their place by trees, are strewn and lying loose on the side of the pyramid, from the base to the top; and among them our attention was forcibly arrested by rows of death's heads of gigantic proportions, still standing90 in their places about half way up the side of the pyramid; the effect was extraordinary.
Here follows the description of the gigantic stone monuments or carved images which were doubtless the idols91 of the ancient inhabitants of Copan. Resuming his general description, Mr. Stephens says:
The whole quadrangle is overgrown with trees, and interspersed92 with fragments of fine sculpture; particularly on the east side, and at the northwest corner is a narrow passage, which was probably a third gateway. On the right is a confused range of terraces running off into the forest, ornamented94 with death's heads, some of which are still in position, and others lying about as they have fallen or been thrown down. Turning northward95, the range on the left hand continues a high, massive pyramidal structure, with trees growing out of it to the very top. At a short distance is a detached pyramid, tolerably perfect, about fifty feet square and thirty feet high. The range continues for a distance of about four hundred feet, decreasing somewhat in height, and along this there are but few remains of sculpture. The range of structures turn at right angles to the left, and runs to the river, joining the other extremity96 of the wall, at which we began our survey. The bank was elevated about thirty feet above the river, and had been protected by a wall of stone, most of which had fallen down.
The plan was complicated, and the whole ground, being overgrown with trees, difficult to make out. There was no entire pyramid, but at most, two or three pyramidal sides, and these joined on the terraces or other structures of the same kind. Beyond the wall or enclosure were walls, terraces, and pyramidal elevations97 running off into the forest, which sometimes confused us. Probably the whole was not erected98 at the same time, but additions were made and statues erected by different kings, or, perhaps in commemoration of important events in the history of the city. Along the whole line were ranges of steps with pyramidal elevations, probably crowned on the top with buildings or altars now ruined. All these steps of the pyramidal sides were painted and the reader may imagine the effect when the whole country was clear of forest and priest and people were ascending99 from the outside to the terraces, and thence to the holy places within to pay their adoration100 in the temple.
Then follows a description of pyramids and stone monuments and altars, together with stone tablets of hieroglyphics which, without the accompanying engravings of Mr. Stephens' work, would be unintelligible101. Mr. Stephens visited the stone quarries102 which supplied the material for this magnificent city, ruins of whose public buildings doubtless alone remain, and if these extensive ruins but mark the site and grandeur of the public buildings, as is most probable, then how extensive indeed must have been the old city whose ruins we call Copan! While at the quarry103, some two miles distant from the ruins, Mr. Stephens indulged in the following reflections:
The range lies about two miles north from the river, and runs east and west. At the foot of it we crossed a wild stream. The side of the mountain was overgrown with bushes and trees. The top was bare, and commanded a magnificent view of a dense forest broken only by the winding104 of the Copan river, and the clearings for the haciendas of Don Gregorio and Don Miguel.[14] The city was buried in forest and entirely105 hidden from sight. Imagination peopled the quarry with workmen, and laid bare the city to their view. Here, as the sculptor106 worked, he turned to the theatre of his glory, as the Greek did to the Acropolis of Athens, and dreamed of immortal107 fame. Little did he imagine that the time would come when his works would perish, his race be extinct, his city a desolation and abode108 for reptiles109, for strangers to gaze at and wonder by what race it had once been inhabited.
Relative to the antiquity and probable cause of the desertion of Copan, Mr. Stephens writes:
In regard to the age of the desolate110 city I will not at present offer any conjecture. Some idea might perhaps be formed from the accumulations of earth, and the gigantic trees growing on the top of the ruined structures, but it would be uncertain and unsatisfactory. Nor shall I at this moment offer any conjecture in regard to the people who built it, or to the time when or the means by which it was depopulated, and became a desolation and ruin; whether it fell by the sword, or famine, or pestilence111. The trees which shroud112 it may have sprung from the blood of its slaughtered113 inhabitants; they may have perished howling with hunger; or pestilence, like the cholera114, may have piled its streets with dead, and driven forever the feeble remnants from their homes; of which dire1 calamities115 to other cities we have authentic116 accounts, in eras both prior and subsequent to the discovery of the country by the Spaniards. One thing I believe, that its history is graven on its monuments. No Champollion has yet brought to them the energies of his inquiring mind. Who shall read them?
"'Chaos of ruins! who shall trace the void,
O'er the dim fragments cast a lunar light,
And say 'here was or is,' where all is doubly night?'"[15]
PALENQUE
I next call attention to the ruins of Palenque, situated about two hundred and sixty miles northwest from Copan in the modern state of Chiapas in the valley of the Usumacinta river. Our space will not admit of the elaborate and detailed117 description given of this ancient city by the writers who have visited it, and whose descriptions are usually attended with references to numerous cuts of pyramids, temples, ruined walls, statuary, tablets, etc. I have therefore decided118 to abridge119 the description of this city and its chief monuments from the admirable work of Nadaillac:
The monuments of Palenque are justly reckoned amongst the most remarkable in Chiapas.[16] The town stands in the region watered by the Usumacinta, where settled the first immigrants of whom it has been possible to distinguish traces. The position of Palenque, at the foot of the first buttresses120 of the mountain chain, on the banks of the little river Otolum, one of the tributaries of the Tulija, was admirably chosen. The streets extended for a length of from six to eight leagues, (from eighteen to twenty-four miles) irregularly following the course of the streams which descend65 from the mountains and furnish the inhabitants with an abundant supply of water necessary to them. At the present day the ruins rise in solitude121, which adds to the effect produced by them. They were long altogether unknown; Cortez, in one of his expeditions, passed within a few miles of Palenque without suspecting its existence; and it was not till 1746, that chance led to its discovery by a cure of the neighborhood. * * * * * *
Among the best preserved ruins may be mentioned the palace, the temple of the three tablets, the temple of the bas-reliefs, the temple of the cross, and the temple of the sun. We keep the names given by various explorers in the absence of better ones. There are others, but of less importance. Dupaix speaks of eleven buildings still standing, and a few years before A. Del Rio mentioned twenty; Waldeck says eighteen, and Maler, who visited the ruins of Palenque in 1877, fixes the number of the temples or palaces at twelve. These contradictions are more apparent than real, and are explained by the different impressions of each traveler, and the divisions he thought it necessary to adopt.
The palace, the most important building of Palenque, rests on a truncated122 pyramid about forty feet high, the base of which measures from three hundred and ten feet by two hundred and sixty. The inside of this pyramid is of earth; the external faces are covered with large slabs124; steps lead up to the principal building, which forms a quadrilateral of two hundred and twenty-eight feet by one hundred and eighty; the walls, which are two or three feet thick, are of rubble125, crowned by a frieze126 framed between two double cornices. Inside as well as outside they are covered with a very fine and durable127 stucco, painted red or blue, black or white. The principal front faces the east; it includes fourteen entrances about nine feet wide, separated by pilasters ornamented with figures. These figures measure more than six feet high, and are full of movement; while above the head of each are hieroglyphics inlaid in the stucco. * * * * * *
The inside of the palace corresponds with the magnificence of the outside; there are galleries forming a peristyle all around the court; and the rooms are decorated with granite128 bas-reliefs, grotesque129 figures, some thirteen feet high. * * * * The expression of the figures speaks well for the skill of the artist; but the execution is weak, suggesting an art in decadence130 rather than the ruggedness131 of one in its infancy132. These rooms were united by corridors. * * * The architects of Palenque were ignorant of the arch, and their vaults133 were formed of oversailing courses, one above the other, as in the cyclopean monuments of Greece and Italy. The building is finished off with a tower of three stories, measuring thirty feet square at the base. Here, too, we find symbolical134 decorations, which are very rich and in a very good state of preservation135.
Our author, after excusing himself from mentioning many of the monuments of Palenque, for want of space, says:
We must, however, mention one of them, situated on the other bank of the Otolum, and known under the name of the Temple of the Cross. It rises from a truncated pyramid and forms a quadrilateral with three openings in each face, separated by massive pilasters, some ornamented with hieroglyphics and some ornamented with human figures. The frieze is also covered with human figures, and amongst those still visible Stephens mentions a head and two torsos, which, in their perfection of form, recall Greek art. The openings, all at right angles, lead into an inside gallery communicating with three little rooms. The central one of these rooms contains an altar, which fairly represents an open chest, ornamented with a little frieze with a margin136. From the two upper extremities137 of this frieze springs two wings, recalling the mode of ornamentation so often employed in the pediments of Egyptian monuments.
Above the altar was originally placed the tablet of the cross, which was afterward138 torn from its position by the hand of a fanatic139, who chose to see in it the sacred sign of the Christian140 faith, miraculously141 preserved by the ancient inhabitants of the palace. The tablet was taken down and then abandoned, we know not why, in the midst of the forest covering part of the ruins. Here it was that the Americans discovered part of it, took possession of it, and carried it to Washington, where it forms part of the collection of the National Museum. The center represents a cross, resting upon a hideous142 figure, and surmounted143 by a grotesque bird. On the right, a figure on foot is offering presents; on the left, another figure, in a stiff attitude seems to be praying to the divinity. The costume of these two persons is unlike any that is now in use; and above their heads we can make out several hieroglyphical144 characters. A slab123 on the right is also covered with them. In the present state of knowledge it is impossible to make out whether these inscriptions are prayers to the gods, the history of the country or that of the temple, the name or the dedication145 of the founders146.
At the end of the sanctuary147 recently discovered near Palenque by Maler, are three slabs of sculptured stone in low relief. On the right and left are hieroglyphics; in the center a cross, surmounted by a head of strange appearance, wearing around the neck a collar with a medallion; above this head is a bird, and on either side are figures exactly like those of the temple of the cross. Evidently this was a hieratic type, from which the artist was not allowed to depart. * * *
We cannot leave the ruins of Palenque without mentioning a statue, remarkable for more than one reason. The calm and smiling expression of the face resembles that of some of the Egyptian statues; the head-dress is a little like that of the Assyrians; there is a necklace around the neck; the figure presses upon its bosom148 an instrument and rests its left hand upon an ornament93, the meaning of both of which it is difficult to imagine. The plinth of the statue has a cartouch with a hieroglyphical inscription62, probably giving the name of the god or hero to whom it was dedicated149. There is a very distinct resemblance in some of these hieroglyphics to those of Egypt.[17]
In concluding an extended description of the ruins of Palenque, Bancroft says:
I close my account of Maya antiquities with the following brief quotations respecting Palenque, and the degree of art exhibited in her ruined monuments: "These sculptured figures are not caricatures, but display an ability on the part of the artists to represent the human form in every posture150, and with anatomical fidelity151. Nor are the people in human life here delineated. The figures are royal or priestly; some are engaged in offering up sacrifices, or are in an attitude of devotion; many hold a sceptre, or token baton152 of authority, their apparel is gorgeous; their head-dresses are elaborately arrayed, and decorated with long feathers."[18] "Many of the reliefs exhibit the finest and most beautiful outlines, and the neatest combinations which remind one of the best Indian works of art." "The ruins of Palenque have been perhaps overrated; these remains are fine, doubtless, in their antique rudeness; they breathe out in the midst of their solitude a certain imposing grandeur; but it must be affirmed, without disputing their architectural importance, that they do not justify153 in their details the enthusiasm of archaeologists. The lines which make up the ornamentation are faulty in rectitude; the designs in symmetry; the sculpture in finish; I except, however, the symbolic tablets, the sculpture of which seemed to me very correct." "I admire the bas-reliefs of Palenque on the facades154 of her old palaces; they interest me, move me, and fill my imagination; but let them be taken to the Louvre, and I see nothing but rude sketches155 which leave me cold and indifferent." "The most remarkable remains of an advanced ancient civilization hitherto discovered on our continent." "Their general characteristics are simplicity156, gravity, and solidity."[19] "While superior in the execution of the details, the Palenque artist was far inferior to the Egyptian in the number and variety of the objects displayed by him."[20]
Mr. John L. Stephens, whose comments upon the cities he visited in Central America, are always interesting, remarks of the ruins of Palenque:
What we had before our eyes was grand, curious, and remarkable enough. Here were the remains of a cultivated, polished, and peculiar157 people, who had passed through all the stages incident to the rise and fall of nations; reached their golden age, and perished, entirely unknown. The links which connected them with the human family were severed158 and lost, and these were the only memorials of their footsteps upon earth. We lived in the ruined palaces of their kings; we went up to their desolate temples and fallen altars; and wherever we moved we saw the evidences of their taste, their skill in arts, their wealth and power. In the midst of desolation and ruin we looked back to the past, cleared away the gloomy forest, and fancied every building perfect, with its terraces and pyramids, its sculptured, and painted ornaments159, grand, lofty, and imposing, and overlooking an immense inhabited plain; we called back into life the strange people who gazed at us in sadness from the walls; pictured them, in fanciful costumes and adorned160 with plumes161 of feathers, ascending the terraces of the palace and the steps leading to the temples; and often we imagined a scene of unique and gorgeous beauty and magnificence, realizing the creations of Oriental poets, the very spot which fancy would have selected for the "Happy Valley" of Rasselas. In the romance of the world's history nothing ever impressed me more forcibly than the spectacle of this once great and lovely city, overturned, desolate, and lost; discovered by accident, overgrown with trees for miles around, and without even a name to distinguish it. Apart from everything else, it was a mourning witness to the world's mutations:—
* * * * * *
"'Nations melt
The sunshine for a while, and downward go.'"[21]
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10
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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11
effacing
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| 谦逊的 | |
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12
obliterate
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| v.擦去，涂抹，去掉...痕迹，消失，除去 | |
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13
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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14
coeval
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| adj.同时代的；n.同时代的人或事物 | |
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15
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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16
relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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17
aboriginal
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| adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的 | |
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18
nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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19
attainments
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| 成就，造诣； 获得( attainment的名词复数 )； 达到； 造诣； 成就 | |
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20
advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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21
prehistoric
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| adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的 | |
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22
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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23
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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24
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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25
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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26
degenerated
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| 衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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28
edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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29
symbolic
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| adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的 | |
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30
attest
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| vt.证明，证实；表明 | |
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31
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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32
cemeteries
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| n.（非教堂的）墓地，公墓( cemetery的名词复数 ) | |
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33
antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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34
pertain
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| v.(to)附属，从属；关于；有关；适合，相称 | |
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35
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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36
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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37
hieroglyphic
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| n.象形文字 | |
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38
hieroglyphics
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| n.pl.象形文字 | |
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39
conquerors
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| 征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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40
subjugated
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| v.征服，降伏( subjugate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
scourges
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| 带来灾难的人或东西，祸害( scourge的名词复数 )； 鞭子 | |
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42
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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43
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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44
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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45
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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46
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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47
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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48
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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49
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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50
pottery
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| n.陶器，陶器场 | |
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51
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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52
teeming
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|
| adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注 | |
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53
nomadic
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| adj.流浪的；游牧的 | |
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54
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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55
adornment
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| n.装饰；装饰品 | |
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56
plow
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| n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough | |
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57
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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58
labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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59
unravel
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| v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开 | |
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60
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
inscriptions
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| （作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记 | |
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62
inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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63
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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64
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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65
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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66
momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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67
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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68
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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69
quotations
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| n.引用( quotation的名词复数 )；[商业]行情（报告）；（货物或股票的）市价；时价 | |
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70
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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71
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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72
supremacy
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| n.至上；至高权力 | |
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73
pulsation
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| n.脉搏，悸动，脉动；搏动性 | |
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74
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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75
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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76
dwindle
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| v.逐渐变小（或减少） | |
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77
tottered
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|
| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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78
literally
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|
| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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79
tributaries
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| n. 支流 | |
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80
primitive
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|
| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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81
mutual
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|
| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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82
situated
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|
| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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83
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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84
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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85
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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86
crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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87
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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88
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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89
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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90
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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91
idols
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| 偶像( idol的名词复数 )； 受崇拜的人或物； 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物； 神像 | |
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92
interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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93
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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94
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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95
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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96
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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97
elevations
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| （水平或数量）提高( elevation的名词复数 )； 高地； 海拔； 提升 | |
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98
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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99
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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100
adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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101
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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102
quarries
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| n.（采）石场( quarry的名词复数 )；猎物（指鸟，兽等）；方形石；（格窗等的）方形玻璃v.从采石场采得( quarry的第三人称单数 )；从（书本等中）努力发掘（资料等）；在采石场采石 | |
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103
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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104
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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105
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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106
sculptor
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| n.雕刻家，雕刻家 | |
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107
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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108
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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109
reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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110
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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111
pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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112
shroud
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| n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏 | |
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113
slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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114
cholera
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| n.霍乱 | |
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115
calamities
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| n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事 | |
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116
authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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117
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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118
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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119
abridge
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| v.删减，删节，节略，缩短 | |
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120
buttresses
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| n.扶壁，扶垛( buttress的名词复数 )v.用扶壁支撑，加固( buttress的第三人称单数 ) | |
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121
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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122
truncated
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| adj.切去顶端的，缩短了的，被删节的v.截面的( truncate的过去式和过去分词 )；截头的；缩短了的；截去顶端或末端 | |
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123
slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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124
slabs
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| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
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125
rubble
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| n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾 | |
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126
frieze
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| n.(墙上的)横饰带，雕带 | |
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127
durable
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| adj.持久的，耐久的 | |
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128
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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129
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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130
decadence
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| n.衰落，颓废 | |
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131
ruggedness
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| 险峻，粗野； 耐久性； 坚固性 | |
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132
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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133
vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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134
symbolical
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| a.象征性的 | |
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135
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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136
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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137
extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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138
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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139
fanatic
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| n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的 | |
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140
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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141
miraculously
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| ad.奇迹般地 | |
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142
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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143
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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144
hieroglyphical
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| n.象形文字，象形文字的文章 | |
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145
dedication
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| n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞 | |
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146
founders
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| n.创始人( founder的名词复数 ) | |
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147
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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148
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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149
dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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150
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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151
fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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152
baton
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| n.乐队用指挥杖 | |
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153
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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154
facades
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| n.（房屋的）正面( facade的名词复数 )；假象，外观 | |
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155
sketches
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| n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概 | |
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156
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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157
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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158
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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159
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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160
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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161
plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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162
pinnacle
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| n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰 | |
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