was sun-worship in America, and the phallic
ceremonies existed in some places in the time of Cortez. In Asia these
ceremonies and figures of the serpent were usually associated with
sun-worship. Humboldt was sure that these symbols came to America from
the Old World. A more careful study of the subject might have led him to
modify this belief. But, whether we adopt his explanation or some other,
the traditions on both sides of the Atlantic are without meaning unless
it be admitted that there was communication between the two continents
in times of which we have no history.

FOOTNOTES:

[170-*] See Appendix C.

VIII.

AMERICAN ANCIENT HISTORY.

If a consecutive history of the ancient people of Central America and
Mexico were ever written, it has been lost. Probably nothing of the kind
ever was written in the manner which we call history, although there
must have been regular annals of some kind. The ruins show that they had
the art of writing, and that, at the south, this art was more developed,
more like a phonetic system of writing than that found in use among the
Aztecs. The inscriptions of Palenque, and the characters used in some of
the manuscript books that have been preserved, are not the same as the
"Mexican Picture Writing." It is known that books or manuscript writings
were abundant among them in the ages previous to the Aztec period. They
had an accurate measure of the solar year and a system of chronology,
and many of their writings were historical. Among the Mayas, and in
other communities of the same family, writing was largely used in the
time of the Spaniards. It was common also among the Aztecs, but they
used "picture writing." Las Casas wrote on this point as follows:

"It should be known that in all the commonwealths of these countries, in
the kingdoms of New Spain and elsewhere, among other professions duly
filled by suitable persons was that of chronicler and historian. These
chroniclers had knowledge of the origin of the kingdoms, and of whatever
related to religion and the gods, as well as to the founders of towns
and cities. They recorded the history of kings, and of the modes of
their election and succession; of their labors, actions, wars, and
memorable deeds, good and bad; of the virtuous men or heroes of former
days, their great deeds, the wars they had waged, and how they had
distinguished themselves; who had been the earliest settlers, what had
been their ancient customs, t