uzpan and Papantla. Prof. Valentine is inclined to
think that this date is referred to on the calendar stone; that is, 231
A.D. Just twenty-four cycles elapsed from this time to the date of the
dedication of the calendar stone in 1479.

He also thinks that the Maya traditions refer to this same occurrence.
One more reference to this same mysterious date is contained in the
traditions of the Tezcucan tribe. According to the traditions, the
beginning of things were in the year 245 A.D. According to this view,
then, the ancestors of both Nahua and Maya people appeared on the gulf
coast about 231 A.D.; in the same place where a Maya-speaking tribe are
found to-day. From here those who developed the Maya culture went to the
south and south-west; those who developed the Nahua went to the west and
north-west.

We do not profess to be a judge as to the value of this tradition.
Our scholars will, probably, at no distant day, come to more definite
conclusions in the matter. Prof. Short thinks the strangers who at this
early time made their appearance on the gulf shore were colonies of
Mound Builders from the Mississippi Valley.<94> We think it best to be
very cautious about coming to any such conclusions. We must not forget
that back of the twelfth century is nothing but vague traditions. Mr.
Bandelier tells us that "nothing positive can be gathered, except
that even during the earliest times Mexico was settled or overrun by
sedentary, as well as by nomadic tribes that both acknowledged a common
origin."<95> The savage tribes have the general name of Chichimecas, but
by right this term ought to be applied to the sedentary tribes as well;
however, the word Toltec stands for these sedentary tribes. We have all
read about the great Toltec Empire in Mexico. This is a ridiculous
use of words. There was no tribe or nation of people of the name of
Toltecs.<96> All these prehistoric aborigines were probably Chichimecas;
but by Toltecs we refer to the sedentary tribes, the skillful workers
among them. If we are to judge any thing of traditions, the original
home of these people were somewhere to the north of Mexico.

There was doubtless the usual state of inter-tribal warfare, but after a
prolonged period the sedentary tribes--the Toltecs--were exterminated
or expelled. Their successors were utter savages, coming from the north
also. We doubt very much whether any date can be given for this event,
but traditions assign it to about the y