The preceding affords an outline of the life of the American aborigines: it only remains to make some supplementary remarks about the civilized tribes. We have already seen that many barbarous peoples were closely related to the highly-cultivated Mexicans. Plates 4o-43 contain types of these peoples, and Figures 8, 9 (pl. 4o), 8, 9, 10, II (fil. 41), copied from ancient Mexican paintings, show ns the costumes of the ancient Mexicans. The garments were made of cotton. Montezuma does not appear in the picture in grand gala costume, as he wears neither ear-bells, bracelets, nor a ring in his lower lip. He carries a flower, the favorite decoration of the Mexicans, and a cane with odoriferous resin. The band in his hair, and above all his bare feet—sandals made of fibres of the cactus were commonly worn—are marks of his rank.
The king, whose right was derived from God, possessed unlimited power and received the most exaggerated veneration. He was not per mitted to walk, but was always carried. Succession to the throne was hereditary in the female line, but the nobles had great influence in deter mining the selection. Next in rank to the king were the nobility, which were divided into several classes. The king, assisted by several high officers, was supreme judge and commander-in-chief.
The Mexicans, who were .often brave to fearlessness, went to war almost entirely nude, as the warrior on Plate 40 (fig. 8), illustrates—the net which he carries is to capture the enemy—but generally a thickly-lined jacket of cotton and a wooden helmet were worn (pl. 40, fig. 9), as were also guards for the arms and legs (fil. 42, fig. 4). The shields were made of cotton trimmed with feathers (pl. 40, fig. 9). The weapons consisted of slings, clubs, bows and arrows, swords, knives of obsidian, and spears which were in part thrown with a spiral throwing-strap. The costume of the Mexicans (Indians) of to-day is shown on Plate 41 Uig. 1). The blouse of the man is striped blue and white, his pantaloons are of goat's leather.
We see their dwellings on Plate 41 (figs. 6, 7), the latter representation scarcely differing from the dwelling of a related barbarous tribe shown by Figure i (pl. 43). The ancient Mexicans excelled in architecture, and their large cities were ornamented with magnificent stone palaces, which (in Mexico) were partly built on pile-work. Their bridges, aqueducts, and temples were also admirable. On Plate 43 (fig. 5) are shown sections of a remarkable engraved stone pillar from the ruins of Tula in the Valley of Mexico; Figure 9 is a cross-section of a stone bridge near Tezcuco, and Figure 11 represents a restoration of the celebrated pyramid of Papantla in the state of Vera Cruz. The art of arching was known to them, as is
proved by the remarkable hill of Xochicalco, which is most probably an ancient fortification or a fortified temple-place (p7. 41, figs. 4, 5). The hill is conical, smooth, and surrounded by terraces each 20 metres (6514 feet) in height, and at its base by a broad deep ditch, g. The level top was ornamented by a high pyramidal-shaped terraced structure (like 42, 1), whose large blocks of stone were united by polished joints and were entirely covered with reliefs. Lying concealed in the hill are sub terranean chambers which were entered at A (p7. 41, figs. 4, 5) by long, widely branching passages (C–E;), and which were ventilated by means of arches (H) reaching to the surface of the hill (a section of one is shown at J). Back of the dressed natural rock (I) there is the open space G, which is supported by two pillars (F), also of dressed stone, and con structed like the chamber on Plate 41 (fig. 2).
This latter illustration, as also Figure 3, represents details from the ruins of Chichen Itza and Uxmal, extensive cities built by the Mayas, a people related in culture to the Aztecs. The construction of the ceiling is very peculiar: it may be called a triangular beehive arch, the walls approaching each other up to a small horizontal plane on the ceiling (p.
41, fig. 3). The head depicted on Plate 43 (fig. to, Northern Yucatan), which is no doubt an idol with genuine Central American features, as is shown by the curved thick nose and the projecting upper lip (comp. pi: 42, fig. 4), affords an example of the sculpture of the Mayas.
This model is found at other places—in the ruins of Palenque in Guatemala, at the temple of Xochicalco in Mexico, etc. It represents the deity of the temple as a victorious hero, with two worshippers in garb of slaves supplicating him. Particularly noteworthy are the helmet decorated with feathers, ribbons, and flowers; the sceptre, whose point carries the eagle, which was the coat of arms of the city of Mexico; and the striking costume, consisting of a close-fitting, long-sleeved jacket, network collar, a belt decorated front and back with heads of the enemy and below by a leopard skin, of guards for the legs, and of a fan. This representation was generally repeated at both sides of the temple-entrance.