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The North Americans of Antiquity is a scholarly survey of the earliest peoples of the United States, Mexico, and Central America, written by John T. Short. In his opening address the author explains that the work is intended as a “manual of information relating to the earliest period of North‑American Antiquity” and as an introduction to ancient American history. He frames the study around the mound‑builders of the Ohio Valley, the cliff‑dwelling cultures of the Southwest, and the Pueblo societies, while also drawing connections to the Maya and Nahua civilizations of Mexico. The book is built on a wide range of contemporary sources, Smithsonian reports, scientific society proceedings, and a host of archival manuscripts from the Library of Congress, augmented by numerous engravings supplied by leading scholars and institutions of the day.
Written in the late‑19th‑century academic style, the text combines exhaustive citation with a tone of earnest inquiry rather than polemic. Its prose is formal and detailed, reflecting the period’s emphasis on cataloguing evidence and debating origin theories. Readers who enjoy thorough historical‑archaeological overviews, especially those interested in the comparative study of mound, cliff‑dwelling, and Mesoamerican cultures, will find this volume a valuable reference. It also appeals to scholars of the history of science, as the author engages with the debates and personalities that shaped early American archaeology.
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Copyright, 1879, by JOHN T. SHORT.
PREFACE.
The growing interest in the origin, migrations and life of the races of American Antiquity has led me to believe that the subjects considered in these pages would meet with the favorable attention of the public and of the specialist in this field. With such a conviction I present this volume, realizing the difficulties which attend any efforts to elucidate such dark problems. Yet I cannot conceal my satisfaction that the age of North American Antiquity is not all darkness, but on the contrary is rapidly growing radiant with light, while a host of patient searchers for its truths roll up the obscuring curtain. The recent discoveries by Geo. Smith, Cesnola, and Schliemann naturally cause us to turn with national pride to the rich antiquarian fields in our own land. Very satisfactory results have been obtained within a few years in the exploration of Mound-works and the Cliff-dwellings of the West. A just view of the civilization of the builders of these remains, however, requires that it be considered in connection with the traditional history and civilization of the ancient races of Mexico and Central America, so marked was the influence of the ancient peoples of this continent upon each other.
Regarding this to be important, I have endeavored to present a comprehensive view of the civilization of the Mound-builders, Cliff-dwellers, and Pueblos, and to bring to the attention of the reader the traditional history and architectural remains of the Mayas of Yucatan and the Nahuas of Mexico. Only the probable origin and the most remote period of the growth of these latter peoples could receive attention within the limits prescribed for this work, since it is my design that this volume shall serve as a manual of information relating to the earliest period of North-American Antiquity, and as an introduction to Ancient American History. My material relating to the Mound-builders has been drawn almost entirely from the Smithsonian Reports, the Proceedings of scientific societies, and private memoirs. Still it is but justice to one honored co-laborer in the same field, Col. J. W. Foster, to say that his excellent work, The Pre-Historic Races of the U. S., has been of great service in our investigation of this subject. Although his sources of information have been, with few exceptions, before me, my appreciation of his work is attested by my constant reference to it. Nevertheless, the wonderful advances which have been made in Mound-exploration since the issue of the Pre-Historic Races, called for a fresh treatment of the subject.
On the Mayas and Nahuas the following manuscript works in the possession of the Congressional Library at Washington were consulted, and yielded valuable material:
Las Casas: Historia Apologética de las Indias occidentals, 4 vols. folio.
Las Casas: Historia de Indias, 4 vols. folio.
Panes (D. Diego): Fragmentos de Historia de Nueva España, folio.
Echevarria y Veitia: Historia del origen de gentes que poblaron la America Septentrional, 1755, 3 vols. folio (about one-fourth of the work is published in Kingsborough’s Mex. Antiq., vol. viii).
Escalante in Teniente (Jose Cortes): Memoria sobre las Provincias del Norte de Nueva España 1799, folio.
Duran (Diego): Historia Antigua de la Nueva España 1585, 3 vols. folio (part of the work has been published in Mexico).
These, together with the large number of printed books relating to America in the Congressional Library added to works in my possession, afforded an ample field for research.
I must express my appreciation of the courteous attentions of the accomplished Librarian of Congress, the Hon. A. R. Spofford, who together with his assistants did everything possible to facilitate my investigations. To the uniform and friendly interest which Mr. Spofford has manifested in my work, its successful completion is largely due. The substantial assistance which I received from the lamented Professor Joseph Henry—the record of whose kindly offices to his fellowmen can never be written—was invaluable to me. Besides placing the latest material at my disposal, he generously furnished most of the engravings in this work relating to the Mound-builders. Dr. Charles Rau, also of the Smithsonian Institution, has placed me under obligations for valued services. To Professor F. V. Hayden and to the painstaking offices of Mr. James Stevenson of the U. S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, I am indebted for the engravings as well as the sources of information relating to the Cliff-dwellers. The Hon. J. R. Bartlett, of Providence, R. I., with equal generosity has conferred like favors. Prof. F. W. Putnam, of the Peabody Museum of American Archæology and Ethnology at Cambridge, Mass., and his courteous assistants, Mr. Carr and Miss Smith, have provided me with valuable engravings and reports. Robert Clarke, Esq., and Mr. E. Gest, of Cincinnati, have also sent me engravings, and the former in particular has conferred frequent favors. Professor Ph. Valentini, of Albion, N. Y., with rare liberality, contributed interesting material relating to the Nahua Calendar. To Mr. Stephen Salisbury, Jr., of Worcester, Mass., Dr. R. J. Farquharson, of the Davenport Academy of Sciences, Rev. S. D. Peet, editor of the American Antiquarian, Cleveland, O., and to A. J. Conant, Esq., of St. Louis, Mo., I am indebted for the interest they have manifested, and for the material which they have brought to my attention.
Señor Orozco y Berra, of the City of Mexico, the distinguished author of the Geografía de las lenguas Mexicanas, has from time to time freely made important suggestions concerning some of the problems under consideration. To my friend the Rev. John W. Butler, of the City of Mexico, whose intelligent efforts in my behalf have been unremitting, I have special reason to be thankful. To all these generous friends I must be permitted here to express my deep sense of gratitude for their favors.
However, this pleasant task would be but half performed were I to omit the recognition of the unselfish friendship of the justly eminent author of the Native Races of the Pacific States. Mr. Hubert Howe Bancroft, whose rare erudition and breadth of thought are only surpassed by his magnanimity of nature and manliness of spirit, with a liberality which has scarce a parallel in authorship, sent me the majority of the engravings illustrative of the Maya and Nahua architecture and sculpture, used in the fourth volume of the Native Races. To this I may add the no less valuable encouragement which he so heartily gave during the progress of my work. Although some of my investigations were prosecuted before the publication of the Native Races, and though all of Mr. Bancroft’s sources relating to subjects which have received our mutual attention were before me and underwent a critical examination at my hands, it is but fair to state that the assistance which I derived from the Native Races has been of incalculable service in the preparation of this volume. If in any place I have omitted to render full credit to Mr. Bancroft, and to that imperishable monument of learning and industry, his great work, the omission has been due to inadvertence rather than intention. My obligations to Mr. Bancroft can never be discharged, nor can the kind attentions of Mr. Henry L. Oak, of the Bancroft Library, San Francisco, be forgotten.
Still my examination of the sources has not always led me to the same conclusions as were reached by the author of the Native Races. This may be owing to our different standpoints of observation, or possibly to an inappreciable bias in my own mind. It is, however, but justice to myself to say that this work has been prosecuted to its completion with the spirit of inquiry rather than of advocacy, and is the embodiment of an honest search for the truth.
THE AUTHOR.
COLUMBUS, O., November, 1879.
PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION.
This, the third edition of “The North Americans of Antiquity,” has been carefully revised and new facts incorporated. In this connection I take the opportunity of thankfully acknowledging the kindly reception and marked consideration which this work has enjoyed at the hands of specialists, of learned Societies in both America and Europe, and from the University of Leipzig.
J. T. S.
COLUMBUS, OHIO, September, 1881.
CONTENTS.
The Aborigines — Antiquity of the Red Indian — The Mound-builders — Geographical Distribution of Mound-works — Frontier Defences of the Mound-builders — Michigan Mounds — Mounds in the North-west — On the Upper Missouri — In Dakota — Animal Mounds of Wisconsin — Elephant Mound — Discoveries at Davenport, Iowa — Davenport Tablet — Heart of the Mound-builder Country — Cahokia — Resemblances to Mexico — St. Louis and Cincinnati Works — Cincinnati Tablet — Works in Ohio — Fortified Places — Fort Ancient — Signal Systems — Works at Newark — The Ohio Valley — Explorations in Tennessee — Burial in Stone Coffins — Mound Colonies in the South-east — Mr. Anderson’s Calendar Stone — Mounds of the Lower Mississippi Valley — Seltzertown Mound — Alabama and Georgia Mounds — Pyramid of Kolee-Mokee — Explorations in Missouri — Sun-dried Bricks — Remains in the South-west — Direction of the Migration — Architectural Progress — Altar Mounds — Mounds of Sepulture — Ancient Copper Mines — Astronomical Knowledge.
Antiquity of the Mounds — No Tradition of the Mound-builders — Vegetation Covering the Mounds — Age of Mound Crania — Probable Date of the Abandonment of the Mounds — Ancient Shell-heaps — Man’s Influence on Nature — Supposed Testimony of Geology — Agassiz on the Floridian Jaw-bone — Remains on Santos River — The Natchez Bone — Remains on Petit Anse Island — Brazilian Bone caves — Dr. Koch’s Pretended Discoveries — Ancient Hearths — Age of the Mississippi Delta — Dr. Dowler’s Discovery at New Orleans — Dr. Abbott’s Discoveries in New Jersey — Discoveries in California — Inter-Glacial Relics in Ohio — Crania from Mounds in the North-west — No Evidences as yet Discovered Proving Man’s Great Antiquity in America.
Conflict of Discovery and Dogmatism — Arabic Learning in the VIIIth Century — Spirit of the Early Writers on America — Common Opinion as to the Origin of the Americans — Father Duran — Lost Tribes of Israel — Garcia — Lascarbot — Villagutierre — Torquemada — Pineda, etc. — Abbé Domenech — Modern Views — Pre-Columbian Colonization — Plato’s Atlantis — Kingsborough — The “Book of Mormon” — Phœnicians — George Jones — Greek and Egyptian Theories — The Tartars — Japanese and Chinese Theories — Fusang — The Mongol Theory — Traces of Buddhism — White-Man’s Land — The Northmen — The Welsh Claim.
Origin Theories — Indigenous Origin — Separate Creation Theory — Dr. Morton’s Theory — Agassiz’s Views — Dr. Morton’s Cranial Measurements — Dr. Morton’s Theory of Ethnic Unity Groundless — Ethnic Relationships — Typical Mound-skull — Crania from the River Rouge — Dr. Farquharson’s Measurements — Crania from Kentucky — Researches in Tennessee by Prof. Jones — Measurements — Prof. Putnam’s Collection of Crania from Tennessee Mounds — Low Type Crania from the Mounds — Development Observable in Mound Crania — Head-Flattening Derived from Asia — Diseases of the Mound-builders — Physiognomy of the Ancient Americans — Languages — Evolution and its Bearing on the Origin of the Americans — Darwin and Hæckel on the Indigenous American — The Autochthonic Hypothesis Groundless — Unity of the Human Family — Accepted Chronology Faulty.
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