10 
REVIEWS. 
which, however, is no more remarkable than many others. It consists 
of a square and a circle, touching one another; the sides of the square 
being about nine hundred feet in length, and the circle a little more 
than a thousand feet in diameter. The square had eight doorways, 
one at each angle, and one in the middle of each side, every doorway 
being covered by a mound. The circle was peculiar in having a double 
embankment. This work, alas! has been entirely destroyed; and 
many others have also disappeared, or are being gradually obliterated 
by the plough. Under these circumstances, we read with pleasure 
that “ The Directors of the Ohio Land Company, when they took 
“ possession of the country at the mouth of the Muskingum Diver 
“ in 1788, adopted immediate measures for the preservation of these 
“ monuments. To their credit be it said, one of their earliest official 
“ acts was the passage of a resolution, which is entered upon the 
“ Journal of their proceedings, reserving the two truncated pyramids 
“ and the great mound, with a few acres attached to each, as public 
“ squares.” Such enlightened conduct deserves the thanks of 
Archaeologists, and we sincerely hope that the Company has 
prospered. 
Both as being the only example of an enclosure yet observed in 
'Wisconsin, and also as having in many respects a great resemblance 
to a fortified town, the ruins of Aztalan are well worthy of attention. 
They are situated on the west branch of Dock Diver, and were dis¬ 
covered in 1836 by N. E. Hyer, Esq. who surveyed them hastily, and 
published a brief description, with a figure, in the ‘ Milwaukie Adver¬ 
tiser.’ In ‘Silliman’s American Journal,’ No. XLIY. is a paper on the 
subject by Mr. Taylor, from which was derived the plan and the short 
account given by Messrs. Squier and Davis # The most complete de¬ 
scription is contained in Mr. Lapham’s ‘ Antiquities of Wisconsin.’ f 
The name “Aztalan” was given to this place by Mr. Hyer, because 
the Aztecs had a tradition that they originally came from a country 
to the north, which they called Aztalan. It is said to be derived 
from two Mexican words, Atl, water, and An, near. “ The main 
“ feature of these works is an enclosure of earth (not brick, as has 
“been erroneously stated), extending around three sides of an irre- 
“ gular parallelogramthe river “ forming the fourth side on the 
“ east. The space thus enclosed is seventeen acres and two-thirds. 
“ The corners are not rectangular, and the embankment or ridge is 
“ not straight.” “ The ridge forming the inclosure is 631 feet long 
“ at the north end, 1419 feet long on the west side, and 700 feet on 
“ the south side; making a total length of wall of 2750 feet. The 
“ ridge or wall is about 22 feet wide, and from one foot to five in 
“ height. The wall of earth is enlarged on the outside, at nearly 
“ regular distances, by mounds of the same material. They are called 
“ buttresses, or bastions; but it is quite clear that they were never 
“ intended for either” the one or the other. They vary from sixty- 
* L. c. p. 131. 
f P. 41. 
