ars B.C. Other information places their coming
much later, at about 387 A.D.

All through Central America and southern Mexico ruins of these ancient
villages have been discovered. While the civilizations of all were
contemporaneous, different centres show different lines of development.
There is nothing certain concerning the origin of the Toltecs, and they
seemed to have practically disappeared so far as independent tribal
life existed after their conquest by the Aztecs, although the products
of their civilization were used by many other tribes that were living
under the Aztec rule, and, indeed, traces of their civilization exist
to-day in the living races of southern and central Mexico. Tradition
states that the Toltecs reached their highest state of power between
the seventh and the twelfth {193} centuries, but progress in the
interpretation of their hieroglyphics gives us but few permanent
records. The development of their art was along the line of heavy
buildings with bas-reliefs and walls covered with inscriptions
recording history and religious symbols. One bas-relief represents the
human head, with the facial angle shown at forty-five degrees. It was
carved in stone of the hardest composition and was left unpainted.

Ethnologists have tried repeatedly and in vain to show there was a
resemblance of this American life to the Egyptian civilization. In
art, architecture, and industry, in worship and the elements of
knowledge, there may be some resemblance to Egyptian models, but there
is no direct evidence sufficient to connect these art products with
those of Egypt or to assume that they must have come from the same
centre. The construction of pyramids and terraces on a large scale
does remind us of the tendency of the Oriental type of civilization.
In all of their art, however, there was a symmetrical or conventional
system which demonstrated that the indigenous development must have
been from a common centre. Out of the fifty-two cities that have been
explored which exhibit the habitations of the Toltec civilization, many
exhibit ruins of art and architecture worthy of study.

In the construction of articles for use and ornament, copper and gold
constituted the chief materials, and there was also a great deal of
pottery. The art of weaving was practised, and the soil cultivated to
a considerable extent. The family life was well developed, though
polygamy appears to have been practised as a universal