The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 31, 1898, Page 21

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, JULY 81, 1898 eting for the Association for the ent of Science, which will conv ton: on. Au- gust 22 the most notable of: the or- by-a paper wh Marshall H. Sa- f-the m ot Nat- History -is preparing, and which 1 read before the associati In aper” Mr.. Saville will the markable results of his ex- lorations ng the anc of :which, , nothing Has b of the Ameri » only one Xico, until® the en published. n Museum, who acquainted the import of plorer Sa- hav pronounced -markable ever ma Not only are.th, e some of th st for thé light that they on the much - discussed question gin of the most anclent in- the: Western .Continent. of this work promise to st one enfrancing: chapter history of the Americans. cene of these remarkable dis- promise to dissipate stery now surrounding zation of this con- ., about five miles south *t of Oaxaca. The most part of the work was accom- during th x weeks of the half vhich Mr. Saville’s recent the discoveries vs that the ele- ment of it k 2 large part in scientific expl well as in the less exact aff men. Half by ac- cident, Mr stumbled upon the ruins of a the a tecas istoric metropo- of the Zepo- A most enlightened ration i e i bited the new world prior to the advent of European eivilization. He not only found this an- but unearthed hieroglyphics of a character far su g anything hitherto supposed to exist in the West- ern hemisphere, besides other proofs of a high culture and an advanced civil- izatlon. The explorer 1s convinced af- ter careful - scientific analysis that these revelations place the prehistoric Zepotecan nation on a par with the an- clent races of . India, Chaldea and Egypt, and that they possibly prove the first settlers of this continent to Wonderful CRYPTA DE XOXO, ENTERED BY SAVILLE THROUGH A SIDE PASSAGE . 21 have the former of th been re peoples. Mr. Saville is.the head of the de- partment of archaeology in the Ameri- can Museum and has spent many years in studying the traces of the prehis- toric peoples of America. Since 1889 he h: been constantly making re- searches in Mexico. Mr. Saville left on his latest and most 11 trip on October last. It was his purpose to decipher certain picture writings which cover the temple of Montezuma’s far-famed sun god, then considered the most important ancient nerican structure extant. Quetzal- coatl, the sun god, was the principal diety of the Aztecs, and by some lucky chance his temple escaped the destruc- tive hands of Cortez and the other Spanish invaders. young explorer has just returned w York, and the secrets which he unearthed and which he now for t time announces to the world, to be far more important than any that were in the keeping of the sun god. Mr. Saville’s work was prosecuted under the auspices of the Mexican Gov- ernment, and he was ompanied by Mr. Humphreys, a surveyor who acted as an official Mexican representative. They took along with them a consider- able force of Mexican laborers to do the work of excavation, and carried a type- writer, oumera and other implements of modern civjlization with which to prosecute their work. While on the way to his intended field of labor, Mr. Saville found traces of a great group of pyramids near Xoxo. This region has long been recognized as a fruitful fleld for the discovery of Zepotecan relics. Thinking that a little exploration might uncover something of value, Mr. Saville set his native la- borers at work and in a short time had unearthed a number of pyramids and smaller mounds. The twelve largest of these pyramids are of the sort called teocalll, an Aztec word meaning divine tombs. The ground throughout this re- gion was thickly overgrown with gua- muchi snd mesquite. The roots from these trees penetrated to a great depth, and in several instances they had broken throueh the stone floors or the mounds. Speeimens of anclent pottery and other relics were found which had heen broken up by the same resistless forces. One day while Mr. Saville was recon- noitering some distance to the north of the big group of pyramids he came to a rige of ground forming a sort of low plateau some distance above the rest of the plain and covered with the usual heavy vegetation and undergrowth. Separating the vines and brambles as well as he could for a short distance from the outer edge of the growth, and ed to refistorie CI{;/ Discovered in Wfexico. The American Association for the Advancement of Science regards the discovery of these ancient ruins and relics as among the most important of their kind in the history of the continent. The dwellers of this great city belonged to a people superior to the Az= tecs, and several anthropologists are inclined to the opinion that they were probably the earliest rulers of the continent. peering underneath, the explor no- ticed peculiar bits of potte and traces of ashes. On mining pieces of broken pottery he knew at once from their peculiar formation that they had lain there undisturbed for turies, sheltered from wind and storm by the impenetrable thicket throngh which not even the heavy tropical rains could force their way. Hoping that he was on the scent of valuable relics, the explorer applied himself to pick and spade, and with great difficulty dug two or thrze feet into the earth, where he came to a hard, flat surface. In considerable ex- citement he called his labore who quickly cleared away the brush and dirt. The surface was found to be a cement floor, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say a cement roof. Cutting through it the workers came to the face of a stone wall. Sealed to this wall by their rims were cazuelas (earthenware bowls). Under each bowl was a bright red funeral idol which had been so thoroughly preserved by the perfectly dry air that it looked as though it had veen newly painted. ‘What had at first appeared to be a stone wall was now seen to be a long slab, forming a lintel over the top of a door. After further digging the door- way was uncovered and was found to be blocked by a huge metate (native millstone.) Its corners had been filled in with smaller stones and the whole mass cemented over, so that the tomb was hermetically sealed against damp- ness and other corrosive agents. The lintel of this doorway was a huge stone block of volcanic origin, about six feet long and eighteen inches wide. Carved .cross its entire surface were inscriptions in the hieroglyphics of a civilized race! No writing of such an advanced character as that of these hieroglyphics lLas ever before been dis- covered in America. The explorer took casts in plaster and papier-mache im- pressions of this wonderful monolith, and finally of the whole doorway. The insériptions s_.ow in excellent relief, and Mr. Saville is now engaged in an exhaustive study of them from the casts. He intends to recast duplicates of the originals and send them to the ablest hieroglyphists and students of ancient records the world over, in or- der ‘hat the utmost knowledge and skill may be brought to bear for their deciphering. As *soon as the doorway was cut through Mr. Saville and his assistants entered the chamber of the tomb. Mural paintings representing female figures draped in shrouds and in atti- tudes of prayer were on the walls. Three niches in the tomb contained a number of skulls and other bones com- prising parts of ten skeletons were v scattered about. These were all paint- ed a bright red, the same shade as that Wwhich covered the bones found outside the chambers isr the cazuelas. Red, Mr. Saville s; was the mourning color of the Aztecs. The fact that all the bones were painted shows that they had been entirely stripped of flesh before being placed in the tomb. Dur- ing the long generations whicn had elapsed since the sepulcher had been sealed over an inch of fine dust had sifted down from the decayed rocks Which formed the roof and walls, The most valuable part-of the find in this ancient tomb, in the opinion of Mr. Saville, was the inscriptions. Although some of them bear a generic resem- blance to the Maya writing which has been found in other parts of Mexico, no_written characters of so high an order have ever before been discovered in America. It is Mr. Saville’s beliel that the writing is at least partly phon- etic. If this proves to be the cuse, it will lift the Zepotecas to a position in history far above that of the csle- brated Aztecs or the opulent Incas of Peru. The next step in Mr. Saville’s ex- plorations was the great crypt of Xoxo. It was discovered by Dr. Scloguren, the famous Mexican archaelogist and col- lector of relics, in 1886. Mr. Saville forced his way into it by a small side door which had been previously un- known. To reach the Interfor, four floors, each from two to three. inches thick, made of a very hard, white cement, were cut through. Pecullar architectural formations of an impor- tant ceremonial significance were found in the interior of the crypt. It seems likely from the religious and ceremonial symbols uncovered here that the crigin of the Zepotecan re- ligion may be found to be identical with that of the most anclent faith of the eastern world. The great discovery, and the one which scientific men consider the most important yet made, was hit upon in the course of excavations among the mounds already mentioned. A terra- cotta drainpipe was found leading from one of these mounds into the fields. The joints of the pipe were several feet long, and they were'so made as to fit carefully together. The course of the pipe was followed for a considerable distance. Then it broke off, but fur- ther along it was found again, and fol- lowing it up a steep mountain, the ex- plorer came to & huge temple at the top, surrounded by an imposing peris- tyle. It had been a work of the great- est difficulty to follow the long course of the buried pipe, but probably by no other means could the ancient city have been discovered, hidden as it was by thick growths on all sides. The sides of the mountain, on the summit of which stood the city. had WERE THEY THE been artificially terraced, the top had been razed and fortified on all sides till it was impregnable. The temple itself was-a magnificent piece of architecture. Beyond it on the broad area of the mountain top were the crumbling ruins or amphiteaters, palaces and other public buildings. Streets and passageways were exactly as they had been during the long cen- turies since their desertion. Here on this terraced mountain, overlooking a great stretch of country at its foot, was at last found the lost capital of the Zepotecan nation, at one time probably the rulers over most of the other peo- ple of the continent, certainly their leaders in art, civilization and industry. ‘The mountain on which the skeleton of this prehistoric metropolis was brought to view is marked on the Mexican Gov- ernment maps as Monte Alban. Its crowning wall is completely hidden by the surrounding growth of lofty trees and it is so difficult of access that it has never been attacked or even seriously thought of as a field of exploration. That there were ruins upon this sum- mit was known before Mr. Saville's vigit, but they were supposed to be only the remains of some rude Indian fortress Instead, as has been proved, the wreck of a stately and civilized city. . “Zachila was, in all probability, the ancient name of the city on Monte Al- ban,” says Mr. Saville. “Not very far away there exists a little village which now bears the same name. The spot was strategically an ideal place for a great capital city in the troublous times when it must have existed. Its situa- tlon made it an impregnable fortress. The mountain stands at the intersec- tion of the three broad valleys, Oaxaca, Etla and Jalplan. Thus it commanded a wide view in all directions, and, be- ing isolated by these valleys from the gurrounding mountains and looming high above them all, it kept perpetual guard over all the country round about. “Of course my work did not extend over a sufficient length of time to de- termine the exact extent of the cul- ture, wealth and civilization of the peo- ple who once inhabited the city, but they must have been far in advance of most of those with whom we have be- come in a degree acquainted through other mounds and ruins. The city was certainly one of considerable size, ex- tending over several square miles. We came upon_ stone aqueducts over six feet wide. In the different parts of the plain are big mounds which, on inves- tigation, proved to be the crumbled re- mains of what were once great public buildings. The frequent earthquakes of that region, which probably caused the destruction of the city, have shaken these once important structures into mere heaps of dust and debris. “In the southern end of the city we found a big mound over a thousand feet long and three hundred feet in width. The slopes of its sides were regular and faced with masonry and there was a stairway leading to its summit. It may have been the sits of a vast temple or of a series of pudlic buildings. At the opposite end of the city there was a rectangular basin of about the same size which once formed a great amphitheater where public gatherings were held and religious ceremonies performed. “No reliable proofs are left of what a Zapotecan dwelling was like. Ex- cavations of temples, causeways, pll- lars, arches and other magnificent pub- lic structures and a searching study of the plans and general appearance of the city have furnished the most con- FIRST ATTERICANS ? THE BURIED CITY. vincing data for the scientific meaning with which the explorations have clothed the masses of hitherto mea ingless stone and dust. Everywherc there was found proof that the Zapote- cans were a peace-loving people who must have been governed by an elab- orate code of laws and customs. They had a literature, too, for we found proofs and traces of it, though, of course, there was no time to go ex- tensively into that phase of the ex- plorations. Their religion must have developed to an advanced stage, for we- found proof that they did not offer up live sacrifices in their religious fetes. Doubtless further work will bring to light other important and interesting facts about the lives and customs of these pe.ple whom we may justly look upon as our earliest predecessors on this , continent. Just how extensive these discoveries may prove to be it is impossible to sav at the present time. er since the attention of anthro- pologists. has been called to this hemis- & >» EXPLORER SAVILLE EXAMINING THE BONES OF A HUMAN BEING FOUND IN A HOUSE IN phere as a’ fleld for archaeological study, the great question has been to settle conjectures as to how the pre- historic tribes and nations sprang up in Americ: The theory most cepted is based on the hypothe the vanguard of human migration to this continent was mposed of wan- dering tribes: from Asia who crossed by the Bering Straits into Alaska and who, meandering southward through North A finally settled in Mex- ico.. rv South America was populated partly by subsequent migra- tions from the same source and partly by secondary ones from the Mexican settlers. It is possible that further Za- potecan explorations will settle this question, which ‘for four hundred years has been a scientific riddle. and that the phonetic writings, burial® cus- toms and architectural peculiarities brought to light on and about Monte Alban may disclose’ the origin.-and even the progenitors themselves of the first Amrericans.” ONDON claims to have the only dog with false teeth in the world. This canine curiosity is in the possession of Mr. E. Mosely, one »f the best known dentists in the West End. Myn Duivel, as the dog is named, is proud of his masticators and defies criticism by vigorously devouring whatever is placed before him. He does not even hesitate at chops, grind- ing their bones to powder with wonder- ful ease. “I bought the dog abroad,” Mr. Mose- ly remarks in Tid-Bits, “for a stud dog, as, although old, he possesses many good points. He had no teeth, however, and I found that we had to specially prepare food for him. He became very unfortunate in the ken- nels, where the dogs would worry him, without his being able to defend himself, and treat him with the utmost contempt. So the idea occurred to me that I might make him a set of false teeth. It had never been done before to my knowledge, and there were great difficulties in the way, but I saw no reason why it should not be done. “So I chloroformed Myn Duivel and removed the few stumps he had left. The puzzle, after the mouth was pre- pared, was how to fit the plate. Every- thing had to be specially made, but at last I succeeded in taking models of the dog’s mouth, and the most difficult part of the operation was over, or so, at least, I congratulated myself. From the models metal dies were cast, and natty little platinum plates struck to fit each jaw. These plates had to be of double thickness in order to obtain sufficient strength, as Myn Duivel, hav- ing no fear of his dentist’s bill is reck- less in the way he tackles bones. “It was a formidable task—the most difficult operation I have performed in a professional career of nearly twenty years. Each of the teeth occupied two hours in preparing, and as there were twenty-four of them you will under- stand what a dreary task it was. For- ty-eight hours of grinding! And then each tooth had to be ground to the exact size and shape, and there was great risk of breakage. But it was done at last. and Mvn Dulvel was fitted THIS DOG HAS with his new set of.artificial teeth. “He revolted furiously at first, and fought violently against the inpovation, but at length he became reconciled, and he i3 now ‘an extremely proud, not to say a conceited, dog. His teeth are taken out and cleaned each night with his own toothbrush and a special tooth powder. “The outlay for materials used in ex- periments and failures,” said Mr. Mose- ‘“‘was considerable. - My leading employed on the case for and I put in more hard work and took more skin off my finger tips in shaping those’ teeth than I have doge in a year of ordinary work. No, T shouldn’t care to do another one for a patient, unless I had carte blanche in both money and time, and even then I should think twice.” —————————— HOW TO LIVE LONG. Eight men of .St. Louis, the young- est of whom is 75 years old and the old- est 110, give for the benefit of those who would live as long as they rules which they believe will insure health. Captain “Jack” Haines, 110 years old, says: ‘“Keep good company; never drink any but good whisky; preserve a B{n%d‘ conscience and be happily mar- ried.” John Deming, 83 years old, suggests care of health in youth, outdoor exer- cise and marriage. John Benton, 85 years old, believes in marriage, sobriety and temperance in the use of meat. James Fisher Boyd, 80 years old, says long life is the outcome of a temperate llfiplaln food and a happy marriage. lonel John M. Jackson, 86 years old, admonishes those who would live long to be always occupied, eat plain food ahd be temperate. Wiillam Ilbry, 96 years old, gives these directions to the seeker for the century mark: “Eat slowly and not too much; drink no strong liquors, and beer only in moderation; rise and retire early.” . Tli)mas Houghton, 86 years old, as- cribes his longevity to temperate hab- its, regular hours for eating and sleep- ing, and marriage. ° Thomas E. Gordon, 75 years old, says that he who would advance in years should sleep with a window open, leave liquors and tobacco alone and be re- ligious, 5