Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-09
TURKEYS ANTIQUITIES.
OTTOMAN JEALOUSY OF THE
sAVANTS OF EUROPE.

tures of the Present Law Against Ex-
ploration-Vaiue of Oriental Ruins of
from Literary and Scientific stand
point.
BEYRoUT, SYRIA, Feb. 5.--Never were
pearls more efTectually cast before swine
than at present in the Turkish empire.
The priceless Treasure Troye of antiquity
which lie buried beneath the soil of all
Western Asia cost the 0ttomans so many
hours of jealous watching that it is
probable they would willingly demolish
every vestige Of former times, if such
procedure would relieve them OF the Gu
rious inquiries Of the savants of Europe
and America. 1t was only a few years ago
that the Sultan proposed TO give the
old city wall at Constantinople to one
Of his favOrites who was gong 10 use
it as a quarry. The prompt interposl-
ton of European representatives saNeu
this fine old historic ruin OF the East from
the vandalism OF mercenary court. Iur-
kew herself cares nothing for these nionu-
ments of antiquity, and 1t is matCer Oh
evaporation to her thatforeigners shoulu
intrude. She has of late years grown
more susnjoious and exclusive. She
seems incapable OF understanding the mo-
tIves that lead to archaeological research.
Whenever party of enthusiastic eXplO-
rers appears at her doors she at once
gives them the credit of intending TO carry
on politicaI intrigue under the thin dis
9uise of digging up some neglected mound
or OF surveying some sacred territory.
The law is for the present strictly eX-
elusive. A special tirman must be oD-
tanned for even an exploring party. a
careful system of espionage is seen every
where in full force. A native is cast into
prison on the mere suspicion of knowing
the whereabouts of secret treasure. Inc
assumption of the government is that
everything under the soil belongs to the
treasury of the Porte. The splendid
sshndsv of SchlIemann at Iroas ana OF
Layard and others at Uneven ana
Ephesus and Cyprus did not Iail
TO arouse the zeal OF stu0ehCs ol
history the world over. But that ardor
was doomed to be dampened by the fol
lowing exclusive order Of things, which
renders such explorations in Western
Asia an impOssibility for the present. as
the political ascendency of Islam begins
TO wane the Moslem world seems TO be
irving to withdraw itself from puDllc
gaze. and resents the attempts OF the
Western world to pry INTO the secrets OF
her historic soil.
There is possibly in this matter at least
one case for Generalization, and that Is
that there is no archaeological work car
ried on at present by unscientlt1c eXplor-
ers on any large scale. The whole held
of research is being preserved Tor the
good time coming, when explorations can
be carried on with more system than can
be expected under any present cOndltlons.
The devastating work ofthe turkish o1lcl-
als is essentially finished. Inc nne ola
ruins that once skirte0 the Mediterranean
oh efrinnnA time ago. ana
there need be no further anxiety. But
vast numbers of most interesting ruins
both above and beneath the soil, are scat
tered all over the inland regions and are
still awaiting, undisturbed, the investi-
cations of the arch8OlOgist. Should the
Turkish government today throw open
its doors to every enthusiast who might
come. and allow and encourage uni
versal and indiscrimiDate eXcaVa-
tion. the cause OF historical re-
search, though doubtless receiving an i'm
mediate and powerful impetus, would
probably suffer in the long run. 1t is well
TO be patient and make the most for the
present of what does come to light in the
inevitable course of events. When the
great work is undertaken it should be
carried on systematically and under ex-
periehced hands.
To any one who has paid any attention
to archaeology or to ancient history, even
though his attention has been confined to
Biblical history, there is no need OF en-
Dhasizing the value to the human race OF
such studies, and the consequent eXplora-
lions. There is q peculiar fascination TO
such person in the gradual development
of information concerning the races OF the
ancient civilization. The excavations at
TrOas brought to Greek scholarship new
impetus and made vivid the pages OF
Homer. The discovery Of the Assyrian
library in the mounds # ancient Nineveh
gave to the world of Semitic scholarship
q new language; and thousand mis-
taken notions concerning the early ages
of the world have already been corrected,
and that TOO in the very Infancy OF AS
syriology. The work of many eminent
travellers has lighted up the land of Pales-
tine with new interest to every reader
of the sacred story. The labOrs Of
Robinson, Thompson, and of the
leaders of the American and Eng
Iish Palestine Exploration Society
have helped to bring the most import
ant book in the world into the clear light
OF facts. We may hope that many of its
mysteries may be cleared up and that a
multitude OF mistaken notions may be
corrected. But in Egypt more than in
any other land have the recent eXplora-
tons brought us into close communion
with antiquity. The domestic life OF the
Pharaohs and even the humDlest Egyp-
tian peasant is made evident, and we are
now beginning TO understand the relations
ancient Egypt held TO the political, the So
cial and the educational affairs OF her time.
But, however, much has been eXhumed
from the soil of the Turkish empire, no one
who pretends to know anything about the
subject would dare to affirm that we have
vet gathered 1.-THE of the rich harvest
that awaits us. 1t would be hazardous
TO attempt to put an estimate upon the
value to the human race Of the treasures
still lying buried I'm Western Asia. Asia
Minor over its whole extent IS still COM
paratively untouched by the pick and
spade. A few square acres upturn-
ed at TrOas and Ephesus have
shown us the wealth of the treas
ure. The Mesopotamian valley, per-
haps the earliest home Of the human race,
and which contains the records that 90
back to the very roots OF human history,
has buried beneath its soil that which is
Of more value TO the world than all the
gold and silver mines put together. A
few mounds pierced near Mosul have dis
covered TO the world the Literature OF
mighty race Of cOnquerors and Assyrian
history had TO be rewritten. A few CLEAN
lngs from the surface IN the regions OF
the upper Euphrates have startled the
students OF history BY the apparition OF
the almost unknown race OF the ancient
Hltttes. Syria and Palestine aud Egypt
have given us equally interesting mate