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subject in the more elaborate volumes to which I refer. It has grown out of a short and hastily prepared series of papers on American Archæology, written for a newspaper, the Worcester Spy. While writing them, I took more notice than ever before of the lack of such a work as I have endeavored to make this; and the brief papers, when printed, engaged so much more attention than I expected, and brought me so many letters from different parts of the country, that I was induced to take up the subject again, with a view to supplying this want. ing at hand the necessary materials, I began anew. result is now presented to the public.

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My purpose has not allowed me to make the book larger, as I could have done easily, by introducing elaborate descriptions of all the known works of the MoundBuilders, and of all the ruins and other traces of the ancient people of Mexico, Central America, and Peru, which have been examined and described. I have sought to show accurately their character and extent, without attempting a more particular and extended description of every monument and relic of the Ancient American civilization than this purpose seemed to require. The work is a summary, a kind of hand-book with notes and comments; but I have aimed to make it comprehensive and complete. The suggestions in regard to the history of Ancient America, furnished by such old Mexican and Central American books as have been preserved, seem to

me no less important than the ruins themselves; there fore this portion of the subject has been kept in view; and I have also reviewed the various theories and suggestions put forward from time to time to explain the ancient American civilizations, adding suggestions of my

own.

The pictorial illustrations used are all from original drawings, and are believed to be authentic, although in some cases (such as No. 5, for instance) restored views are given, and the works are shown as they were, probably, when the lines and surfaces were new and unworn. A few of the illustrations were prepared for this work, but most of them have been copied from drawings made by Mr. Squier and others for the work of Squier and Davis on the Mound-Builders, published by the Smithsonian Institution; from Catherwood's views of the Mexican and Central American ruins; and from drawings made originally for the work of Von Tschudi and Rivero, and for Harper's Magazine, on Peru. The two full-page illustrations of Mitla are from Desiré Charnay's photographs; the others were drawn by Von Temski. The restored Pueblo edifice and its ground plan have been drawn in accordance with the suggestions and sketches of Lieutenant Simpson; the other views of Pueblo ruins were made originally for Harper's Magazine.

In the Appendix will be found several papers which have only an indirect connection with the main topic;

but as Ancient America covers all time previous to the discovery by Columbus, they may not be deemed out of place. Materials for the paper on "Antiquities of the Pacific Islands” came to me from the Pacific World while I was preparing the others. The discovery of the Pacific is so intimately connected with the discovery of America, that this paper would not be out of place even if the Mexican and Peruvian traditions did not mention that a foreign people communicated with the western coast of America in very ancient times.

WORCESTER, MASS., November, 1871.

CONTENTS.

I. ANCIENT AMERICA.-THE MOUND-BUILDERS..

Works of the Mound-Builders..

Extent of their Settlements.
Their Civilization...

Their Ancient Mining Works.

II. ANTIQUITY OF THE MOUND-BUILDERS

How long were they here?.....

III. WHO WERE THE MOUND-BUILDERS?..
Not Ancestors of the Wild Indians..
Brereton's Story...

American Ethnology..

Who the Mound-Builders were..

IV. MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA.

Their Northern Remains

The "Seven Cities of Cevola".

Central Mexico....

The great Ruins at the South....

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Ruins farther South..

The Ruins in Yucatan..

Mayapan

Uxmal..

Kabah.

Chichen-Itza...

Other Ruins

VI. ANTIQUITY OF THE RUINS..

Distinct Eras traced..

Nothing perishable left.

"The Oldest of Civilizations"

American Cities seen by Tyrians

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