New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-23
NEAR THE TEMPLE OF HATASU
MANY MUMMIES AND A VAST NUMBEk of
UIFROGLYPIIC MANUSCRIPTS FOUND.
Cairo, February 10.

uIFROGLYPUIC MANUSCRIPTS FOUND.
Cairo, February 10.
The result of the recent explorations near the
Tcmple of Queen Hatasu, at Thebes, is now KNOWN
and is Of a character TO arouse the keenest IN
forest of all students of Egyptology. Indeed, II
is one Of the most important and remarkaolc
" finds ever made in Egypt. The last ma OF
any importance preceding this was that OF
the royal mummics at Der ell Bahari, III ISL
This was made by an Arab, who kept bis dlS-
coycrics n secret for more than ten years. Among
the mummies found by him were those OF many
ancient kings and princes, dating a. lar pacN
as 1900 before Christ. Among them were
Ramcscs II, or Ramcses the Great, who was the
Pharaoh who most oppressed the 1sraelltes. Others
were Thothmes !, III and III: also Setl ana
Amcnhotcp I. The Arab who found these, before
revealing his discovery, stole from the mummy
wrappineS all the valuablcs that could easily DC
removed and sold them to tourists. Thus IL nap
pcned that many important relics were scat
tered and lost and many valuable manuscripts
mutilatcd and destroyed.
In the present case the greatest care has been
taken II avoid any such losses. Each mummy
case. before 1t is brought TO the surface of the
ground, is opened and carefully examined by
oocnts Of tie famous Boulak Museum. All man.
uScriDts. Jewels and similar articles found are care
| fully laid aside in safc-kecping, and Il catalogue
| of them is made. Then the mummieSa are brought
10 the open air and placed upon biers. AS soon
as Il certain number are thus examined and ar
ranged they are carried upon the shoulders OF
worimen TO the bank Of the Nile, several miles
| distant. These are strange funeral professions,
hearing the bodies of great Egyptian personages
| who died thousands of years ago, the bearers pos
sibly lincal descendants of the mighty dead. These
| professions march in solemn state tn the sound OF
weird dirgcs. chantcd by the conln-bearers them
selves. who seem deeply impressed with the sa-
| cred character of their work Al the river the
mummies are placed on n steamer and conveyed
10 this city to he placed in the Boulak Museum.
Imagine one of the Pharaohs borne TO his grave
I'm = modern steamboat. However. they are not
exactly taken to their graves for at the museum,
after careful examination by experts, they are
placed in glass cases for permanent exhibition to
the eyes Of the world.
This latest discovery was made about two
thirds of n mile from the spot where the royal
mummieS were found in 1871. This is in the
| neirhborhood of Thcbcs. the ancient capital Of
Erypt. and Of Luxor and Karnak. The temple
| Of Queen ITatasu stands at the head Of n hay on
the river bank. close under a steep bluif of lime
| stone. Near this temple is n shaft, descending
| pcrpcndiculorly through the solid rock about fif-
teen NlriS. Az tNP mouth II lIlS SluIt ~ an
cncampmcnt Of government officials, and out Of
| this shaft, rs from tie mouth of Il mine, have
been hoistcd more than 100 mummics. Their
cases and wrappines were painted ut least 5000
years ago, vet the colors are as brilliant rs when
first laid on. The bodies are chicsy those of
male and female priests, and of members of the
royal family.
What makes this find Of special interest and
value is the fact that il is an entirely new one.
Nearly all mummics hitherto rescued by explorers
he'd already been found and more or less dcSpolled.
either long ago 10y former conqucrors of Egypt
or IN later days by Arabs. But these have re-
manned untouched since the day when they were
first laid away in their rocky chambers. What
wealth of historic information may be CLEANED
from them and from the jewels and manuscripts
found among their Wrapplngs cannot yer ne stated.
Scarcely any anticipdtions can be regarded aS
cNtravaraut. however. TIE number of manu-
! scripts is great: for not only are there many
within the mummy cases, but many Others have
! been found in the tombS laid upon or among the
collins. 1t is believed that these were no; placed
there at the same time rs the mnmmics. bat
were thus hidden at Il later date by the priests
who possessed the secrets of the tomlG, Ia save
them from the thicving hands Of some invaders
OF the land. lndccd. IL is suspected that the
entire tomb was mo-, originally intended for that
purpose. but that the murumics were removed
hitler frov the temples where they were origi-
nally placed. to save them from spoliation.
The entrance to the shaft was discovered by
an Arab, who reported il - the Government and
received II handsome reward. Tie explorers. on
descending the shaft ~fortv-fvc feet, came 10 II
doorway closed by n wall of stones. Passing
through this, they entered II level corridor run
ming north and south. about 2j0 icct long. From
this n Hight of stcpS led downward about eighteen
feet and then came another corridor nearly forty
feet long. ~ the ends Of this second corridor
wore two mOrtu2ry chambers Still 4 third cor
ridor was found. sterling from the ton of the
stairway and extending foT lT5 feet. The mum
mics were found piled about in all parts Of these
rooms and corridors in such n way rs 10 favor
the theory that they were hastily removed thithcr
from Their original resting place.
Most of the mummy eases are richly decorated
and are very beautiful. The most recent Of them,
end also the most numerous. belong TO the Twenty
FIRST Dynasty. \ great number OF large wooden
images were also found, which were hollow. These
contained manuscripts. Many of the mummy
cases are of Il style and pattern never seen before,
end their decorations and hierOglyphs are also
entirely new TO Psychologists. The greatest inter
est in these discoveries is manifested and anti.
Quarians are flocking hither from all parts of The
| world. IL will be some weeks. and perhaps
months, vet. however. before sufficient progress
can be made by students 10 determine the real
historical value OF the great find.