11(3 ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



than all, the actual proof of the distribution of population over the numerous and 

 distant islands of the great Pacific, from Asia to Easter Island, render it unne- 

 cessary to resort to the violent hypothesis of a northern route. What greater 

 obstacles were there to impede a passage from Easter Island to the American 

 coast, than attended a migration to Easter Island ? Indeed this island itself 

 appears to have been successively occupied by different families; and its pyrarnidical 

 edifices, and its colossal obelisks and statues, are closely analogous to the American 

 monuments." 



"The Red race, then, appears to be a, primitive branch of tlie human family, to 

 have existed in many portions of the globe, distinguished for early civilization ; 

 and to have penetrated at a very ancient period into America. The American 

 family does not appear to be derived from any nation now existing ; but it is 

 assimilated by numerous analogies to the Etrurians, Egyptians, Mongols, Chinese, 

 and Hindoos ; it is most closely related to the Malays and Polynesians ; and the 

 conjecture possessing perhaps the highest degree of probability, is that which main- 

 tains its origin from Asia, through the Indian Archipelago." 



It will be perceived that Mr. Bradford's inferences have many points of origi- 

 nality; and that while his views harmonize with those which derive the Americans 

 from Asiatic races, they are antagonistical to the idea of a connection by way of 

 Behring's Strait, and a gradual advancement thence of emigrating tribes into 

 Mexico and Peru, bearing with them the seeds of their ultimate civilization. He 

 deems it best to employ in his survey the simple classification of mankind into 

 three divisions, the White, the Bed, and the Black, that is, the Caucasian, the 

 Mongolian, and the Ethiopian, without taking into account the varieties that have 

 sprung from intermixture ; and his comprehensive application of the denomination 

 Red, as a distinction of race, enables him to include nearly every people with whom 

 analogies of customs, arts, or physical attributes, have been supposed to be traced in 

 this country. 



In 1845, the Amei'ican Ethnological Society published the first volume of its 

 Transactions, containing an account of mummies from the nitrous caves of Ten- 

 nessee, and of various images of stone and clay found in that State; from Professor 

 Troost, of the University of Tennessee; and also an historical and descriptive account 

 of the Grave Creefc Mound, and an inscribed stone, said to be found therein; from 

 Mr. Schoolcraft. Much has been written about that "Grave Creek Stone';" and 

 the characters upon it have been submitted to the judgment of various learned 

 men and learned associations, but its authenticity has not been satisfactorily estab- 

 lished. It will be referred to again in another place. 



At an early stage of this historical sketch, it was proper to specify the minor 

 efforts to convey information, or solve questions connected with our subject, 

 appearing in the form of communications to literary and scientific journals, or in 

 some incidental way brought to public notice. Whilst a large portion of facts and 

 discussions relating to the archaeology of the United States existed in no other shape 

 this course was a matter of necessity. But such particularity would be inappro- 

 priate at the present period of the narrative; and only in case of the development 

 of some new variety of antiquities, or a new field of research, is it desirable to 



