ABSTRACT
The walls of the Cyclopean cities are formed of huge blocks of limestone or other calcareous stone, roughly hewn, or, as in the walls of Tyrius, not shaped by the chisel, and in all cases laid together without cement. The Cyclopean gates are square; an enormous stone lying over two upright ones. There are some rude attempts at an arch, the stones being arranged so as to meet at the top, in the same manner as they were formed, by the Aboriginal Architects of Central America. The cities of Etruria generally stood on low ground, although there are exceptions to this rule, and they were less ancient than Cyclopean. There are many specimens in Etruria which the researches of modem travellers have brought to light. The Etruscans were the people, doubtless, from whom the Romans in their early day derived the arts and sciences. Their roads were cut through rocks to lessen the distance, like the tunnelling of modern times.
