PHYSICAL ETHNOLOGY. 



253 



of animal or vegotable matter, and preserves the finest woollen and cotton tex- 

 tures, with their brilliant dyes undininsed by time. By the same means we are 

 enabled to judge of the color and texture of the hair, the proportions and deli- 

 cacy of the hands and feet, and the comparative physical development of two 

 seemingly different races at various stages, from infancy to mature age. When 

 we pass from the southern continent of America to the seats of ancient native 

 civilization lying to the north of the Isthmus, a different class of evidence, in 

 like manner, enlarges our range of observation. The artistic ingenuity of the 

 ancient Peruvian potter has left valuable memorials of native portraiture, and 

 the Mexican picture-writing, with the sculptures and terra-cottas, the products 

 of Toltec and Aztec ceramic art, in like manner contribute important evidence 

 i'iustrative of the physiognomy and physical characteristics of the ancient races 

 of Anahuac. Still more, the elaborate sculptures and stuccoed bas-reliefs of 

 Central America perpetuate in unmistakable characters the records of an 

 ancient race, differing essentially from the modern Indian ; and the study of 

 their cranial characteristics serves to confirm the deductions derived from those 

 other independent soui'ces. 



The traditions of the Jilexican plateau pointed to the comparatively recent 

 intrusion of the fierce Itlexican on older and more civilized races ; and various 

 independent observers have at different times been tempted to trace associations 

 botween the ancient Mound-builders of the Ohio, the elder civilized race of 

 Mexico, and the Peruvians, whose peculiar remains are recovered from the 

 tombs around Lake Titicaca. The predominant Mexican race at the era of the 

 conquest appears from evidence of various kinds, including the portraiture in 

 ancient Mexican paintings, to have been derived from one of the great stocks 

 of the Red Indians of the northern continent. The features represented in the 

 paintings are thoroughly Indian, and strikingly contrast with those of the 

 older native race of Central America, as illustrated by their sculptures, bas- 

 reliefs, and pottery. No doubt, however, the population of the Mexican plateau 

 in the time of Montezuma included descendants of very different races. All 

 the traditions of Mexico point to intrusion and conquest by successive invaders; 

 and the cranial evidence, as produced in the following tables, shows that there 

 also, very distinctive types of skull-forms appear to perpetuate the evidence of 

 diverse races, and of a mixed stock intermingling the characteristics of the con- 

 quering and the subject people. The same valuable American collections have 

 lurnished the materials for the following comparative tables : 



Table IV.— MEXICAN DOLICHOCEPHALIC CEANIA. 



