I'liEiiisToh'H M \\ :,:, 



The Naliua culture of Mexico extend'd llirou^li many centuries, 

 relics ol" which are found deposited in distinct laxci's, one al)ove tlie 

 other. In the \alley of Mexico t here are t hree so-called cult ure hoiMzons, 

 the last luMiiji; tiiat of the Aztecs. 'I'iiese tiiree sta«i,es of cultuic are 

 represented on tlie north side of the hall l)e<»;innin^ at the western end. 

 We first have the Archaic Period as represented in the culture of 'i'arasca 

 and Jaliseo. Here are many crude fi«2;urines of j)()ttery. The eyes and 

 other features are formed by adding fillets of elay which are afterwards 

 rudely modeled. 



Next in order is the culture of th(^ Toltecs, who w(Te skilled in making 

 pottery, the deeorations of whieh w(Te frequently .stampe(l on with 

 terra cotta stamps. Examples of this work together with the -tamps 

 are shown in one of the cases. 



Near the middle of the hall the final period, that of the A/Tec<. is 

 shown representing their work in cla}' and stone. 



Near the east end of the same side of the hall in the same order will 

 be fomid the Archaic Period of Central America, and the succeeding 

 ^laya civilization as represented at Chichen Itza and Copan. 



The Maj'a were perhaps the most highly civilized people in the Xew 

 World. They built many cities of stone and erected many fine pillar- 

 like stelae to which attention was called on entering the hall. The sculp- 

 tures on these monuments represent priest -like beings who carr}' serpents 

 and other ceremonial objects in their hands. There are also on them 

 long hieroglyphic inscriptions containing dates in the wonderful ^laya 

 calendar. ]\laya history contains two briUiant periods. That of the 

 south, extending from 160 A. D. to 600 A. D., was chiefly remarkable 

 for its sculptures. The principal cities were Copan, Quirigua, Tikal, 

 Yaxchilan, and Palenque. The second period fell between 950 A. D. 

 and 1250 A. D., and centered in northern Yucatan. The chief cities 

 wTre Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Labna, and the finest works of art WTre 

 architectural. 



SOUTHWEST PAVILION 



Prehistoric ]\Iax of North America 



Continuing west we pass into the Southwest Pavilion, hkewise given 

 over to archaeology, in this instance that of North America. Here are 

 examples of ancient pottery, arrow-heads, stone axes and other imple- 

 ments of stone and bone, mostly from burial mounds. The most 

 important of these are the rude implements and fragments of human 

 bones from the Trenton gravels, as these are the most probable evidences 

 of man's antiquity on this continent. Notice that the arrangement 



