Author Description

This book was compiled from a series of lectures delivered by L. E. Hills, hence the occasional personal comments. Mr. Hills spent years of study and research pertaining to the history, traditions, geography and archaeology of Mexico and Central America. Books of value came into his hands in remarkable ways.――――From introduction: In my research for facts in ancient American history, I found it necessary to weigh carefully the theories and speculations of writers who could furnish no good evidence as to where the ancient Americans came from, or when and how they reached the American Continent. I decided to do my research work from the raw material as much as possible, or to try to gather facts from the translations of ancient records and traditions that were handed down by the natives for many centuries; using the ruins of cities, temples, pyramids, and fortifications as corroborative evidence, especially in establishing geographical locations. I soon discovered the ancient records and traditions gave little or no chronology, thus leaving the student with little or no knowledge of the centuries in which occurred the historical events described. This, no doubt, was the cause of many scholars rejecting the fragments of native history as of no value, and to their classifying them as myths. The great historian, H. H. Bancroft, says, "The traditional history of the ancient Americans would assume importance if the events narrated could be otherwise ascertained." In other words, if other records or writings should be discovered restating the same historical events, and supplying the needed chronology, the records and traditions would at once assume great importance.