Discoveries and investigations carried on during the 19th century have
thrown much light on the splendid past of Central America. The still
extant ruins of great buildings, unlike anything which is known in the
old world, testify to the high culture attained in pre-Columbian days by
several native peoples differing greatly from one another in speech and
racial affinities. As a science the archaeology of Central America has
scarcely yet emerged from its infancy. Entire branches are still wholly
uninvestigated. Amongst the numerous problems which await solution must
still be reckoned the decipherment of the inscriptions, which hitherto
has not progressed beyond the discovery of calendar systems and the
relative datings involved in such systems.
For a complete survey of this ancient civilization, so far as it has
been investigated, it is necessary to include with Central America,
properly so called, a considerable portion of the Mexican territories
south and east of the isthmus of Tehuantepec. The peoples inhabiting
Yucatan, Campeche, Guatemala, Chiapas and Oaxaca present at the first
view striking ethnical differences. On a linguistic basis, however, they
may be united into several large groups. Thus, Yucatan and the greater
part of Guatamala are inhabited by the Mayas, with whom may be included
the still savage Lacantun or Lacandones. Related to these linguistically
are the Tzendals in Chiapas and the Quiches and Cackchiquels in
Guatemala, as well as the less important tribes of the Mam, Pokoman,
Pokonchi, Tzotzil, Tzutuhil and Ixil. Between these there are patches of
country in which dialects of the Mexican are spoken. In Oaxaca there is
an extraordinary mixture of languages, some of which, like that of the
Huave of Tehuantepec, are of quite unknown affinities; the bulk of the
population, however, is composed of Mixtecs and Zapotecs with which the
Mixe and Zoque on the east are connected. Mexican dialects also occur in
isolated parts of Oaxaca.
_Mayan Culture._--The civilization of the Mayas may well have been
reared upon one more ancient, but the life of that culture of which the
ruins are now visible certainly lasted no more than 500 years. The date
of its extinction is unknown, but in certain places, notably Mayapan and
Chichenitza, the highest development seems to be synchronous with the
appearance of foreign, viz. Mexican or Nahua elements (see below). This
quite distinctive local character suggests that the cities in question
played a certain preponderating role, a hypothesis with which the scanty
documentary evidence is in agreement. On the other hand the Mayan
culture evinces an evident tendency to assimilate heterogeneous
elements, obliterating racial distinctions and imposing its own dominant
character over a wide area. Oaxaca, the country of the Mixtecs and
Zapotecs, became, as was natural from its geographical position midway
between Yucatan and Mexico, the meeting-ground where two archaeological
traditions which are sharply contrasted in their original homes united.