Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-14
THREE EGYPTIAN CEMETERIES

from al article IN the London Times.I
The last few weeks OF exploration have
done much TO clear up the historical tOpO2-
raphy Of TaniS-Xoan SAM We begin to
see how the city waXcd and waned; how
II various times IL threw out fresh suburbs
for the accommodation OF the living aud
new cemeteries for the reception OF the
dead: also. how it wa, az least twice ruin
ed. twice rebuilt. and finally burned. Tn
like Memphis, AbydOS, Thebes, and other
great Egyptian capitals, Tanis seem, 20
have had not one vast historical necrOpo-
lis. but plurality Of eXtramural cemetc-
rics. The cause VI this departure from 0rdi-
rary custom Is not far 10 seek. At Tlnis
there was no rocky desert as at Memphis,
ard there were no ellis as at Tbebes. De-
barred. therefore, from the use OF SUBJ
terraaeOus pit or teTraced catacOmb, the
piOus Tanite Was fain TO deposit his num-
mied corpse IN any convenient spot within
IA reasonable distance Of the city. Flat rs
the country Is, slight eleyatiOns-sOme ma
tural, some arthcial-Occur here and there;
and as in Egypt any place which Is not IT.
rigated turns 20 desert, these elevations,
which are few and Insignificant, may be
described Us islands Of barren sand sur
rounded, according 10 the time OF year, Oy
water. by mud, or by corn. Evidently no
one such spot would suffice for the dead Of
populous city with a definite historical
existence Of three and thirty centuries. II
is, therefore, quite possible that Tanls may
have owned Is many .rayeyards as Lon
don: and, IL so, the majority are probably
forever lost beneath the Nile drift OF ages.
Happily, however, three Tanite necrOpo-
lite. have escaped total obliteration, and
these three have been found within She last
two months by Mr.. ". Flinders Petrie.
The one first discovered is the most an
cent. Il dates from the twelfth dynasty-
that is to say, from the splendid period Of
those Csertesens and Amenembats whose
mutilated statues and rsengraYed obellsks
vet strcw The area OF the great temple. The
site shows traces OF babitatlon as well as OF
burial. 10 close proximity TO ruined ham
let Of recent Roman time lies broken
sphinx OF 6ne early work in black granite.
Part Of "a ROYAL name hammered on the left
shoulder denotes an act OF usurpation by
Rameses Ill. twentieth dynasty, but the
material, workmanship, and STYLE betray
The grand school Of the twelfth or thir-
tenth DYNASTY This noble fragment and
those sordid brick foundations mark the first
and last pages in the history OF the mound.
The first date. from about y. {. 5000,
and the last from, perhaps, the second or
third century Of our own era. This sOll-
tsry sphinx must once hare had fellow,
hut whether il originally adorned shrine
or a sepulchre we know not. We do know,
however, that the mound was used for a
magnificent royal interment some 1000
wears later. \ huge granite sarcophagus,
turned up on end like a sentry box, has
been found 10y Mr.. Prtrie vet resting on the
granite pavement OF pit which was once
A sepulehral chamber. The surrounding
ground il heaped with limestone chips
and Stag. 20 showing that the walls OF
the chamber and the mortuary chapel
above have been broken up and burned
for lime. The sarcophagls, which is
much mutila,ed, was apparently plain,
the lid. now lost, having probably been
the only part inscribed. Though destined
10 contain only hunani mummy. this
enormous stone coffin, which measures III
feet in length by ! feet Q Inches in width,
actually exceeds In size and weight the co.
lossal sarcophsgi 81 the Apis bulls In the
Selapeum Of Sakkarah. Nor does the story
Of the place end here. Some 300 or 400
wears later the contents OF another neeropo-
is seem TO have been transferred hither
and placed in q series q archcd vaults con-
structed for their reception. In clearing
out one or two Ot these vaults Mr.. Petrie
found them full Of broken mummies /;
heads, arms, legs unfortunately. yet
carefully, stacked, as il pious hands had
collected and sheltered the dcsecrated relics
OF despoiled cemetery.
Another rising ground Is described a
ga sand island with superficial area OF
about one square mile, surrounded by mud
| and entirely occupied with burials." Ne.
| Petr,e believes this to have been TIE prin.
eirl metropolis Of Tauis during the hs'