Aboriginal Races of America [pp. 59-92]

Aboriginal Races of America.
that the skull was placed where it was found, at the time of the cotistruction of the mound. * * * * *
"This skull is wonderfully preserved; unaccountably so, unless the
circumstances under which it was found may be regarded as most favourable to such a result. The imperviousness of the mound to water,
from the nature of the material composing it, and its position on the
summ-it of an eminence, subsiding in every direction from its base, are
circumstances which, joined to the antiseptic qualities of the carbonaceous deposit enveloping the skull, may satisfactorily account for its excellent preservation."
We here give a profile wood-cut of this skull, which is a
very characteristic one of the American races, though more
particularly of the Tolteca(n; we have already stated that
the barbarous tribes possessed more development of the posterior part of the brain than the Toltecs. An examination
of this skull will give the following characteristic peculiarities-forehead low, narrow and receding-flattened occiput-a perpendicular line drawn through the external
meatus of the ear, divides the brain into two unequal parts,
of which the posterior is much the smallest, forming, in this
respect, a striking contrast with other, and more particularly
the negro, races. Viewed from above, the anterior part of the
brain isnarrow, and the posterior and middle portion, over
the organs or caution, secretiveness, destructiveness, etc.,
very broad, thus giving much support to phrenology;-vertex prominent. These peculiarities are confirmed by the
numerous measurements of Dr. Morton, and by the obser
[July,
86