The North Americans of Antiquity Their origin, migrations, and type of civilization considered — Reading Companion

Diction of Discovery and Uncertainty

Short's language consistently signals both enthusiasm and caution. He describes the 'patient searchers for its truths' who 'roll up the obscuring curtain,' a metaphor that suggests gradual revelation rather than sudden breakthrough. When discussing the pyramid at Xochicalco, he notes that its position in the centre of a plain, together with revelations from a Pueblo road excavation, furnish 'partial if not conclusive proof' of artificial construction. This hedging—'partial if not conclusive'—is characteristic. Short avoids overstatement, preferring phrases like 'induce the opinion' and 'authorities differing considerably on this point.' His vocabulary reflects a scholar aware of competing interpretations, yet committed to presenting evidence as clearly as possible.

Architectural Description as Argument

Short's descriptions of ruins do more than catalog features; they build a case for sophistication. At Xochicalco, he details five terraces of masonry faced with perpendicular walls, a subterranean chamber with two circular columns of living rock, and a dome-shaped ceiling that 'corresponds with that of a well-proportioned Gothic arch.' The precision—'nine and a half feet high and broad,' 'a round hole ten inches in diameter'—lends authority. He also notes traces of red paint on polished cement, implying aesthetic intention. By juxtaposing measurements with comparisons to European architecture, Short implicitly argues that these structures deserve serious study, not dismissal as primitive.

The Role of Excavation and Evidence

Short repeatedly foregrounds how new excavations alter understanding. The Pueblo road cut through one corner of the pyramid's base revealed 'the perfect regularity with which the bricks were laid in the interior' and a tomb containing skeletons, basalt figures, and pottery. He cites Humboldt's description of the chamber's stone walls and cypress timbers, noting that 'no doorway could be found opening into the tomb.' This detail—an entranceless tomb—raises questions about construction and ritual that Short leaves open. His reliance on reports by Alzate, Dupaix, Nebel, and the Mexican government shows a methodical gathering of sources, yet he does not hesitate to point out when authorities disagree, as on the hill's height.

Comparative Framework and Its Limits

Short explicitly connects the Mound-builders, Cliff-dwellers, and Pueblos with the Mayas and Nahuas, arguing that their civilizations must be considered together. He presents the traditional history and architectural remains of these Mesoamerican peoples as essential context. However, the excerpts show him focusing on material culture—tombs, terraces, tunnels—rather than on social or political organization. His comparative method is most evident in the Xochicalco description, where he notes that the pyramid was 'originally a natural eminence faced up with adobes in terraces, in accordance with the architectural idea.' The phrase 'architectural idea' hints at a shared design principle across cultures, but Short does not elaborate on what that idea might be. The reader is left to infer connections from the juxtaposed evidence.

Short's work rewards readers who attend to the interplay between his cautious diction and his detailed descriptions. He is less interested in grand theories than in assembling a reliable record from disparate sources. The book functions as a compendium of late-nineteenth-century archaeological knowledge, filtered through a single author's voice. Readers should note where Short hedges and where he asserts, as these choices reveal the state of the field in 1879. The excerpts suggest that the most valuable passages are those where he lets the material evidence—brick regularity, cement coatings, tunnel dimensions—speak for itself.

Sometimes I still think about that old book on the mound-builders, how their quiet earthworks felt like a held breath. The World's Progress, Vol. 01 (of 10) With Illustrative texts from Masterpieces of Egyptian, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Modern European and American Literature — Background and Themes carries a similar ache—voices from long ago, still faintly present, asking only to be noticed for a moment.