In the early 19th century, Euro-Americans in the United States pushing westward encountered the ruins of vast earthworks and finely made artifacts. Reflecting their biases, most believed they could not possibly have been made by Native Americans. These discoveries generated widespread public interest, and the Romantic Antiquarians sought to provide an explanation. They speculated civilization was brought to prehistoric America by Egyptians, the Lost Tribes of Israel, Phoenicians, Polynesians, Romans, and Vikings, among others. While origins were bitterly disputed, Romantic Antiquarians...
In the early 19th century, Euro-Americans in the United States pushing westward encountered the ruins of vast earthworks and finely made artifacts. Re...
