The Ancient Monuments of North and South America, 2nd ed.

by C. S. Rafinesque

But it has been ascertained that there were older inhabitants in the west of Europe, than these very Celts, Cantes and Atlantes. The Creons a superior race that erected the annual monumental pillars of Carnac in Brittany, the Cunis or Cynetes, that dwelt at the S. W. of Spain and Portugal, the degraded Vassals or outcasts of the Celts called Cacoux, Cahets, Cunigos, whose posterity is not yet quite extinct. The Eskuaras now called Basks and Gascons, but formerly Cantabrians were the Cantas of the river Ebro, they had great affinities of Language with many American nations. The Atlantic monuments may be distinctly traced from Syria and Greece to Lybia, Morocco, &c. Immense mounds have been found as far South as the river Nun. Of these Atlantes their countries, deeds of yore, &c. much has been written, and much more remains to be elucidated: they can be traced Eastward as far as the very Centre of Asia, once called Turan, through Scythia, in the North and Persia in the South, to the utmost verge of Africa and Europe Westwards. Next to the famed Island Atlantis, or rather Megatlantides which was America! the smaller Atlantis seated midway between the two continents, has been supposed to have sunk when the Volcanos of the Azores, Canaries and other African Islands did explode.

The American Nations connected with these were widely scattered in America, and chiefly wherever the earliest monuments were spread, even as far as Chili to the South, in Guyana to the East under the name of Atures or Atules, and Northwards as far as Ohio and Illinois. It is easy to trace surprising analogies of Languages between the early languages of South Europe and North Africa, with the Chilians, Peruvians, Muyzcas, Haytians, Tulans or Tol-tecas, &c., and many other pre-eminent Nations of this Continent.

By the useful process of generalization we may collect the following important results concerning our monuments: 1. They are scattered all over Amer. from lat. 45d. N. to 45d. S. of the Equator, thus occupying 90d. of latitude, which is no where else the case.—2. They chiefly occupy a flexuose belt from our great Lakes to Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Quito, Peru and Chili.—3. There are few or none in Boreal America, the Eastern Shores of it as far as Virginia, the Western as far as California, nor in the Antilles, Guyana, Orinoco, Maragnon, Brazil, Paraguay and Patagonia; although some of these regions not having yet been properly explored may hereafter offer some likewise.—4. Those known from our Eastern Shores, the Antilles and Brazil are few, and of a peculiar character, distinct from the general style of the others. In New Hampshire concentric castramations have been found as in Peru, but not of stone nor shaped like stars. In Massachusetts inscribed rocks are met with, those of Pennsylvania East of the mountains are rude and small, and such they are as far as Virginia and Carolina. In the Antilles or West Indies, they are chiefly caves, temples and tombs. In Brazil we know of but few, but they are of stone and peculiar style.—5. Therefore the main monuments and structures occupy only one half of America or even less, they are mostly thickly scattered in the fertile regions near rivers, from Ohio to Florida, from Missouri to Texas, from Sonora to Honduras, from Bogota to Chili, &c. being often on high grounds and mountains, table lands and valleys, seldom in the low plains.

Such are the most interesting by number and extensive spreading locations. Yet there are among them various ages and styles, the Floridan or North American, the Mexican or Anahuac, the Guatimalan or Tulan, the Peruvian or Inca—Series, are all somewhat different, mingled with others of earlier or various ages—in Peru the Pucaras or oldest fortified cities in a stellate form are of earliest ages, the ruins of Tiahuanaco with sculptures of a remote period, the ruins of Chimu of another style yet, all different from the style of the Incas. In central America, the Cave-temples—the fortified cities and Palaces—and the Teocalis or Pyramids and Towers, offer as many eras and styles.

In North America we have also at least three great Eras and styles of monuments, the first or most rude, somewhat similar to that of the Antilles; excavations, small houses &c. and this, although so rude, is found to have lasted till very lately, as our log-house style is lasting with us along with large stone buildings. 2. A primitive style using earth and wood or rough stones for large and fine structures, temples, &c. 3. The most refined employing cut stones and ornaments, &c., rare in the North, but becoming more common towards Mexico.

We may assert in ultimate result that America had no Monuments of Grecian or Roman structures, except such as belong to primitive Italy and Greece, ascribed to their ancestors as a different race the Pelagic, Curetes, Hyantes, Taulantes, Aones, and other similar old tribes or nations, long previous to Roman power and Grecian refinement, above all no colonnades and no baked bricks. None of our monuments were like the best Celtic structures, but rather similar to the earliest or ruder Celtic style, if not perhaps previous, such as standing or rocking stones, rough pillars and pilasters, tumuli and mounds, circular and angular areas and temples. None were like the Egyptian temples and pyramids, our American pyramids being rather in stages, as iu Ethiopia, Assyria, India, &c., or in huge platforms bearing temples and palaces, as in Balbec and Persepolis, but by no means so ornamented, nor with such huge stones. None were like the Tyrinthian or Titanic style, but rather a modification of it. None like the slender pillars and round towers of India, Persia, Ireland. None like the modern structure of the Christians, Mahometans, Budhists, Chinese &c., no Gothic or Arabic style, nor domes were found. The inference cannot trace any of these religions to America by their peculiar structures.

While on the other side, we can assert and prove that the American monuments were more or less alike to. 1. The oldest monuments, square and circular platforms of all shapes and sizes, some as large as hills or even natural hills cut to shapes for altars, or support of temples and staged pyramids, &c., as are found from Celtica and Ireland to France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Russia, &c., from Morocco to Senegal, Lybia and Abyssinia; in Asia, from Natolia and the Trojan plain, to Syria and Arabia, Persia, Media around the Caspian, and even in India, Tartary and China; also, the Morais of Polynesia. All of which were the primitive altars of early men or their imitation, in later times as in China.—2. Or like the Cave temples, scattered also from Ireland to India, found in Greece, Syria, Egypt, Persia, &c., sometimes like the excavated cities of the Troglodyte nations, found in Sicily, Crete, Cyprus, Syria, Arabia, Cabul at Bamiyan, &c.—3d. Or like the massive structures of stones of earliest ages, the Norajes or Conical towers of Sardinia and the Balearic Islands, the angular towers of Lybia, &c. imitated in Peru, Brazil, Guatimala, Chiapa &c.—4th. Or like the fortified cities of oldest ages in Persia, India, Arabia, Turan, &c. imitated in Peru, and Central America, often with concentric inclosures or curious shapes, sometimes with arks or citadels or acropolis, as in Persia, Greece, Etruria &c.—5th. Or like the vast inclosures and sacred areas of temples, with peculiar cells or holy recesses, shrines, oracles, &c., as in India, China, Thibet, formerly in Syria, Egypt, Assyria, even like the old temples of Mecca and Solomon; such are found in Peru Tunca, Mexico, North America as far as Missouri, where most were of wood as were the first temples of Solomon, Tyre, Delphos, and are yet in China very often.

Then it is evident that the American Monuments are similar to the oldest and earliest of the Eastern Continent, or the modern ones that are yet built there on the primitive models. We have some late instances of it even in Europe, when the huge mound of Waterloo was erected after the battle of that name. Grecian buildings are often built now in Europe and America, the Gothic style has travelled from Arabia to Europe and is not yet quite out of use. The national altars of the Celestial Empire at Pekin in China are yet exactly similar to those of earliest times, and found in America.

Architecture and the various styles it has employed for monuments, temples, cities &c. have undergone several changes and improvements, from the rude imitations of a tent, or cottage, or hill, to that of pyramids, towers, pillars, colonnades, caves, norajes, teocalis, &c., from irregular inclosures to square, circular, octagon forms, from heaps of earth forming ditches, canals, to regular walled excavations. Styles of building are fluctuating with the Nations and times, taste and religion: some are occasionally revived or improved; yet they have a certain duration, location, or age, and origin somewhere. Nevertheless they may happen to be blended by the same people; our own modern civilization admits yet of the tents in camps, the loghouse, the shed, the hut, the cottage, the houses of wood, brick or stone, palaces and temples, theatres, Capitols, and negro huts! We must not be surprised to see the same incongruity and admixture in various parts of America in former times. Many tribes followed 300 years ago the style of 3000 years before, as yet partly done in China.

Every thing on earth follows the universal law of terrestrial mutations, monuments and arts, as well as languages and human features! they rise and fall like the nations, mingle or blend as our modern English nation and language formed out of many others. What diversity in any one of our cities in complexions, statures and features of men! there are more differences between some men of our own race, than between negroes, red or white men. White, black and bay horses, are not peculiar species, nor are men of different hues, hairs, eyes, noses, &c.