The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1874-10-03
Recent Excavations in Assyria.

The London Daily Telegraph gives
the following summary of the Assyrian
antiquities lately obtained by its com
missioner, Mr.. Smith, during his ex:
plorations "There are found, more
over, among the endless wealth Of rel
les which Mr.. Smith has brought back
from the Royal Library fresh portions
Of that profoundly important 'Deluge
Series which remains, until something
still earlier shall replace it, the nursery
book of the worlds education. Much
might be said, too, Of the
objects Of art which
occur along with the tablets, slabs,
royal inscription bricks and cylinders Of
this great collection. Besides coins of
theo Roman, Sassanian and Arabic
periods, there are some extremely Gu
rious specimens of Assyrian pottery,
including large and small vessels, much
ornamentcd with incised patterns and
patches of clay, stamped and superim.
posed. There occur some brass bottles
ofmost brilliant colors, due partly, no
doubt, to the oxidation ofthe surface;
perfume pots, lachrymatories and
lecythi, among them being several Of
very striking form and adornment, ap-
parently of the Macedonian or Roman
time. But knowledge Of the manu-
facture of glass, which has been always
ascribed as an invention to the Phani-
clans, appears to belong also to the
Asyrlans, for Mr.. Smith has brought
back signet formed with crystalline
PASTE upon which is cut or cast
the royal device of man killing lion.
The seal is, we believe, not of more an
cient date than Sargon, who Aourished
us B. c., but it proves, at least, that
glass-making was known in Nineveh.
Objects also appear, in this last collec.
ton, of royal crystal delicatcly cngrav-
cd, as we'll as vessels Of the pretty stri-
ped alabaster, so we'll known in Cairo
and Algiers, inciscd with cuneiform
names and notices and there is furth-
er sea-sRell, carved with trees and
birds; as we'll as most exquisitely
cut winged lion, executed in stone so
fine as to resemble ivory, the ornamen
tation being as minute as jewelcr' work:
while the upper part Of the figure shows
that Mr.. Ferguson was right in think
| ing that these lions were used to sup
port pilasters and columns.
"But we must pass to one very strik
ing item-the Intel of the Palace Of
Sennacherib. This really important
| addition to the architectural remains Of
Assyria was excavated at great depth
from below a village built upon the
Kouynnjik hill, and had evidently fall
en- from the top of one OF the royal
| gateways in some ccnvulsion Of nature
or shock of war. It has been broken
into two equal portions, each about
three feet long, but massive even now
after the back has been sawn off at Mo-
sui, for convenience of transport. Ex-
ccuted in hard stone, the design presents
two winged dragons or grif6ns lying face
to face along the architrave with
vase or futed vessel between them.
Along the border are foliated ornaments
and volutcs. the whole being executed
with spirited and sure hand rather
than with any great carefulness. The
character of the execution suggests, in
deed, that, like the rough but express
i've sculptured work upon the pedi-
ments at Baalbec, this Intel was raised
to considerable height, and was only
intended to be thus seen. The regu-
lar proportion Of height to
breadth in a good doorway is as
two to one, and no doubt twelve feet or
50 from the eye these dragons would
look ]ife-like and artistic. They are
winged, collared and cared. and their
necks are long and serpentine, while