LIFE-FOKM IN AKT. 



343 



Chaldean stock, and although its art is in a great measure indigenous, its germs were 

 imported from the ancient Babylon, and in some instances have simply returned to 

 that source after undergoing changes due to their prolonged expatriation. If in addi- 

 tion to this the influence exerted by Egyptian form upon the later Assyrian figures 

 be acknowledged, it makes the task of arranging in a chronological sequence a series 

 of Mesopotamian variants an exceedingly difiicult one. We think that the internal 

 evidence furnished by the objects themselves is a much easier and in the end as 

 satisfactory a guide. 



That archaeologists have not studied primitive art-form by this internal evidence, 

 or, as a natm-alist would express it, by seeking for a standard of grouping by com- 

 parisons of the actual forms, can be at once seen by quoting a few examples. 



The first we propose mentioning is the attempted interpretation of the Landa 

 Alphabet. Dr. D. G. Brinton, in an interesting j^amphlet entitled The Ancient 

 Phonetic Alphabet of Yucatan,"* has printed this alphabet which, as we are informed 

 by Dr. Brinton, " was unearthed in a library in Madrid — that of the Koyal Academy 

 of History," by the Abbe Brasseur de Bourbourg. It was contained in an unpub- 

 lished description of Yucatan, composed by Diego de Landa, the first bishop of the 

 country. This alphabet is given below (Fig. 177) with indications of the objects 

 by ourselves.f 



Parrot. 



2 a 



Parrot . 



Fiff. 177. 



3 a 



Profile. 



4 a 



Parrot. 



5 b 

 Unknown. 



Full-face. 



7 c 



Full-face. 



8 ca 



Brow. 



10 t 



11 e 



Profile Face. Comprehensive sign. Full-face. 



12 h 



Plant. 



13 h 



14 ha, 



15 i 



16 k 



17 ka 



18 1 



Plant. 



Face profile. 



Full-face. 



Profile. 



Animal. 



Profile. 



* New York, 1870, J. Sabin & Son. 



t It is necessary to mention tliat we had not seen the Landa alphabet until this essay had been nearly completed. 



