THE 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
No.410.] 
JUNE 1, 1825. 
[ Price 2s. 
Anatocies of Mexican and Ecyptian 
ANTIQUITIES. 
NE of the first convictions im- 
pressed on the mind by a survey 
of Mr. Bullock’s valuable collection of 
the ancient monuments of Mexico, is 
the resemblance which they bear to the 
monumental records of ancient Egypt. 
The glance of the antiquarian falls with 
familiar recognition on the same gradu- 
ated pyramids; on marks of the same 
Ophite worship, a picture-writing and 
symbolic language of a similar descrip- 
tion; vestiges of the same tri-une and 
solar deity, on planispheres and temples; 
and stone idols, which, though of ruder 
workmanship, and characterized by some 
distinctions entirely American, exhibit 
a great analogy, in posture and gesture, 
to the style of sculpture pre-eminently 
called Egyptian. The Mexican costume 
also, as collected from the specimens of 
paintings which Mr. Bullock has pre- 
served—still more from the sculptures 
which surround the circular altar for- 
merly appertaining to the great temple 
of the sun—exhibits the same striking 
analogy : and the analogy is still further 
corroborated by other pictural and sculp- 
tural representations preserved by Pur- 
chas, by Robertson, and by Captain Del 
Ria, in his Description of the Ruins of 
an Ancient City, lately discovered in the 
Kingdom of Gualtelama. 
There is another circumstance calcu- 
lated to excite surprise in the survey of 
these monuments, viz., that so excellent 
a judge as Robertson should have been 
deceived into a belief, that “ there is 
not, in all the extent of New Spain, any 
monument, or vestige of building, more 
ancient than the conquest; that the 
temple of Cholula was “nothing but a 
mound of solid earth, without any facing 
_ or any ‘steps, covered with grass and 
shrubs ;” and that “the houses of the 
people in Mexico were mere huts, built 
with turf or branches of trees, like those 
of the rudest Indians.” 
In real fact, there exist abundant 
monumental proofs, whichare constantly 
accumulating, that the Mexicans were 
advanced much farther in the arts of 
civilization than the Doctor (betrayed, 
apparently, by Spaniards who wished to 
“Montuty Macazine, No. 410. 
keep him in the dark) was inclined to 
admit. Pyramids, not much inferior to 
the Egyptian, exist in many parts of the 
Mexican territory; vestiges of important 
architecture are still visible at Cholula, 
Otumba and Tlascola; the mountain of 
Zezcoco is nearly covered with the ruins 
of ancient buildings; and the town dis- 
covered near Palanque exhibits not only 
excellent workmanship in the remains 
of the palaces, temples and baths, but a 
boldness of design in the architect, as 
well as a skill in the execution, which 
will not shrink from a comparison with 
the works of, at least, the earlier ages 
of Egyptian power. 
Dr. Robertson notices, that “ the 
unfortunate Boturiori made an amazing 
catalogue of Mexican maps, paintings, 
tribute-rolls, calendars, &c.” Some of 
these are in Mr. Bullock’s collection; 
and the plate which the historian sup- 
plies from the Imperial library at Vienna, 
bears strong resemblance, in the mate- 
tials and workmanship, as well as the 
apparent design of the picture-writing, 
to some of those at the Egyptian-hall. 
The historian casts the same doubt 
upon the authenticity of the “Chrono- 
logical Wheel,” representing the manner 
in which the Mexicans computed time; 
a specimen of which was published by 
Carrieri. “If it be genuine,” he coldly 
says, “it proves that the Mexicans had 
arbitrary characters, which represent 
several things besides numbers.” Now, 
we believe that the original of this “Chro- 
nological Wheel,” to which Acosta also 
refers, is that from which Mr. Bullock 
has taken the model in his Museum. 
But, how depreciated a value he sets 
upon a monument so sublimely indica- 
tive of a people advanced, in some re- 
spects, as he is compelled to admit, 
beyond the point of European civiliza- 
tion,—especially in regard to its regular 
posts and its police! 
But, what is the fact with regard to 
this proof of Mexican attainment in 
astronomy? It is impossible not to be. 
surprised, and somewhat humiliated, in 
discovering that the Mexican Indians, 
from a very remote period, have pos- 
sessed a singular system in their division 
of days, months, years and centuries,, 
3zE which, 
