294 Some Fads and Considerations about FoH Ancient. 



nected in seme way with the obliquity of the ecliptic to the earth's 

 axis of rotation ; yet, if such connection could be established, it might 

 furnish a clue to the age of the works, in view of the measui-able ten- 

 dency of the ecliptic, in the course of ages, to coincide with the plane 

 of the equator. The present angle at which the earth's axis is inclined 

 to the plane of the ecliptic is 23° 28', and becomes less by forty-eight 

 seconds in a century ; which would require, in round numbers, nearly 

 eight thousand years to account for a variation of one degree. If we 

 are willing to believe with Alfred Kussell Wallace, that the safe side 

 of opinion, as to the antiquity of the human race, is with the large 

 figures, and that '-half a million years have probably elapsed since 

 flints of human workmanship were buried in the lowest deposits of 

 Kent's cavern ("Torquay "), we need not be staggered by the results to 

 which such a theory would lead us. Possible changes in the position 

 of the earth's equator might account for this variation, although Sir 

 Charles Lyell has advanced strong ai-guments against supposing such 

 change to be taking place. Whatever be the result, the point is one 

 deserving of investigation. 



Next, the uses to which the mound and roadway at Fort Ancient 

 were devoted, of course, rest largely in conjecture ; but it seems not 

 improbable, from various similar features in other works, that upon this 

 mound were conducted the religious ceremonies peculiar to the worship 

 of the sun. Among many other similar works, in various localities, one at 

 Mount Royal, on Lake George, East Florida, corresponds closely with 

 this. As described by Bartram : "A noble Indian highway led from 

 the great mount on a straight line three quarters of a mile, first 

 through a point of the orange grove, and thence through an awful 

 forest of live oaks, terminated by palms and laurel magnolias on the 

 verge of an oblong, artificial lake, on the edge of an extensive 

 green, level savannah. This grand highway was about fifty 

 yards wide, sunk a little below the common level and the earth 

 thrown up on each side, making a bank about two feet high," 

 Parallels leading out to a place of saci'ifice, or to a temple, are often 

 met with in ancient Mexican remains. They were found also at Ports- 

 mouth, in this State, and elsewhere, as described by Squier and Davis. 

 Bartram also mentions other instances in Georgia. 



Acting upon this general belief as to the uses of the mound and 

 parallels, an examination was made of the space formerly bounded by 

 the walls, which was rewarded by the discovery of a well laid pave- 

 ment of flat river-worn stones, eighteen inches to three feet beneath 

 the present surface, whose width could not be determined by the lim- 

 ited means at command, but it was traced for some distance in its 



