298 THOPICAL NATURE, AND OTHER ESSAYS. 



the existence of tliese ancient peoples. He argues, 

 therefore, that it is very easy for the records of an ancient 

 nation's life entirely to perish or to be hidden from 

 observation. Even the arts of Nineveh and Babylon 

 were unknown only a generation ago, and we have only 

 just discovered the facts about the mound-builders of 

 North America. 



But other parts of the American continent exhibit 

 parallel phenomena. Eecent investigations show that in 

 Mexico, Central America, and Peru the existing race of 

 Indians has been preceded by a distinct and more 

 civilised race. This is proved by the sculptures of the 

 ruined cities of Central America, by the more ancient 

 terra- cottas and paintings of Mexico, and by the oldest 

 portrait-pottery of Peru. All alike show markedly 

 non-Indian features, while they often closely resemble 

 modern European types. Ancient- crania, too, have 

 been found in all these countries, presenting very different 

 characters from those of any of the existing indigenous 

 races of America.-^ 



The Great Pyramid. — There is one other striking 

 example of a higher being succeeded by a lower degree 

 of knowledge, which is in danger of being forgotten 

 because it has been made the foundation of theories 

 which seem wild and fantastic, and are probably in great 

 part erroneous. I allude to the Great Pyramid of 

 Egypt, whose form, dimensions, structure, and uses have 

 recently been the subject of elaborate works by Prof. 

 Piazzi Smyth. Now the admitted facts about the 

 pyramid are so interesting and so apposite to the subject 



^ Wilson's Prehistoric Man, 3rd edit. vol. ii. pp. 125, 144. 



