Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-08-14

The results of clearance of the
of Amenemhat III by Mr.. Flinders Petfiu
were detailed in the Sun last spring, and it
was then stated that Mr.. Petrie wonId next
attack the brick Pyramid of Illabun, which
enjoys the reputation of having never been
opened. AS the pyramid in question in
closes the tomb of a Pharaoh of the twelfth
dynasty, Mr.. Peterie went to Illahun last
February with every prospect of interesting
discoveries. Interesting discoveries were
made. bnt the explorer left Illahun at the
end of May without having found the en-
trance to the pyramid. The site of tbe
pyramid chapel and the remains of an ada
cent shrine yielded many fragments of the
cartouches of Usertesen ii, thus proving
these buildings to have been the work of
| the grandfather of Amenemhat Ill, but the
| secret of the interior of the main structure
will not be revealed till next year. The
pyramid chapel stands at the edge of the
desert, half mile distant from the east
face of the pyramid. Its boundary walls
are still traceable and its position is defined
| by square area containing a deep bed of
limestone chips. Founded by Usertesen II
about 2060 years B. c., and razed to the
ground By Ramses II some 1900 years later,
it was the fortune of this ancient site to be
used for Christian cemetery during the
fifth and sixth centuries of our era. 10 ex-
cavating the bed of chips Mr.. Petrie came
upon bodies clad in garments, which, ow-
ing to the dryness of the spot, are admira-
bly, preserved. Some oi these garments
were of fine material trimmed and embroid-
cred in a most tasteful manner. Below the
Christian graves Mr.. Petrie discovered the
foundation deposits of Usertesen II in a
square hole sunk in the bedrock of the de-
sert. The hole was covered with square
block, which attracted the explorers atten-
ton. There was second block, in fact,
beneath the first. When both were re-
moved there were found the deposits made
| by the builders at the corner-sto laying
AS we should say, $40 years ago. Be-
sides some pieces of pottery there were four
pairs of sandstone corn rubbers, eight bronze
knives with pointed blades, eight with ordi.
nary blades, four small chlsels, four large
chisels, four bar chisels, four axe-heads,
three pieces of copper ore, one piece of znc
or tin ore, and twelve strings of exquisite
carnelian beads, uniform in size and color
and of the richest translucent red. The
beads were placed there, in Mr.. Petrie's
opinion, probably as specimens of the cur
rency of the time, aud he calls attention tO
the fact that beads are still a well-recogniz-
ed article of barter throughout Africa. Tns
| tools are samples of those in use in User
tesen's time. The ore-probably a tin ora
will perhaps on analysis enable US to
identify the country from which the Egyp-
tians got their tin at that early date. Near
the chapel are the remains of a town of the
same period. The place is symmetricaly
laid out and was all built at one time, prob
ably for the architects, artists, officials aud
workmen employed in the construction of
the pyramid and chapel. In the ruins of
tho town, which has been cleared from eDd
to end, Mr.. Petrie found the domestic
utensils and furniture of persons who lived,
labored and died over 4, 800 years ago. He
has come upon curious traces of their man.
ners and customs. Dozens of invaluable
papyri have been found, some of them rol!-
ed up and sealed. In one house rubbish
heap of papyri was found, consisting, ap-
parently, of accounts in ruled columns aad
lines. and all in an exquisitely neat, clear
hand. The quality of some of this early
papyri is marvellous. 1t is formed of two
layers of crossing fibres, but is as thin az
foreign note paper. Other finds were flus
flakes, bssket-work pottery, ivory castanets,
bronze mirrors, knives, chisels and cups,
wooden boxes combs, boomerangs, spoons
and bowls, spindles and thread in abnn-
Dance the stocks of bowdrils, beads peg
tops and other toys, several draught boards
and beautiful alabaster cup. Beneath the
floors of the chambers the remains of many
newborn infants were found buried, usual
ly in boxes not intended for burial purposes
a revelation not very ere ditable to the
customs of the civil servants of the twelfth
dynasty. With some of these unfortunate
babies were found traces of affection, such
as necklaces of garnets and green glazed
beads, with pendants of silver fishes. One
box contained the remains of three infants
and necklaces made from cylinders of User
tesen III. The most interesting, however,
of Mr.. Petrie's discoveries is the pottery
with incised patterns, in imitation of
basket work, and with inscriptions neither
hieroglyphic nor hieratic. but early Cypriote
or Greek. The letters on the pottery of
Illahun are distinctly Cypriote. At Tell
Gurob, a town some five miles distant,
founded during the eighteenth dynasty,
and in decay in the time of Menepthah, the
supposed Pharaoh of the exodus, MIR.
Petrie later found pottery partly of the
Cypriote aud partly of the Mycen@an types,
with Cypriote and Phenician inscriptions.
These facts will somewhat astonish Greek
scholars, as they indicate the presence in
Egypt as far back as 1850 B. G. of Egean
Greeks, who brought with them the rudi-
ments of the Cypriote, and perhaps also of
the Phenician alphabets. 1t has been be-
lieved that Homer. living about 1000 years
B. c., was unacquainted with the art of
writing, and that his Iliad existed for hun
dreds of years in the memories only of
rhspsodsts, who earned living by wan
dering through the countries that caustitut.
ed the old Greek world and reciting his
verses to popular audiences. This may be
said to be the accepted belief, the earliest
date assigned by scholars for the introduc
tion of knowledge OF letters in Greece not
rrOiurr furthnr haolr than SS0 u NJ
Petrie's discovery, however, shows that tho
beginnings of the alphabet were already in
existence some 1000 years B. c., and that
the Had might, after all, have been com-
mitted to writing in Homer's lifetime.