Evening star., 1893-12-14
OLDEST OF ALL GAMES.

Chess, According to Recent Discover
les, Was Known 5000 Years Ago.
From the Pail Mall Budget.
Chess players. with turn for the history
of their strategic amusement, will be in
terested to learn that all the hypothesis as
to the origin of the game have suddenly
been mated by a recent extraordinary
discovery in Egypt. 1t was generally as
sumed until now that the ancient Indians
had invented chess; that it was introduced
from India to Persia in the sixth century,
and that by the Arabs; and in consequence
of the crusades. it spread from east to west
1t is true the Chinese-who invented many
things in times long gone, but which had
afterward to be reinvented in Europe
assert that they can trace chess in
their own country to about two hundred
years before our era. Now, there can GER
tainly be no doubt that in the character of
the hgures at present used, and in some of
the words connected with the game-such
as "schach" (shah) and matt, or mate
an Indian, Persian and Arabic influence is
traceable. But here comes news of the lat
est excavations on the pyramid fields of
Sakkara, which have brought to light a
wall Painting on which a high official is
represented as playing chess with a partner
at the time of the government of King Teta,
who belonged to the sixth dynasty. Profess
sor Brugsch, correcting this chronology, puts
II back TO still greater antiquity, namely to
the year 1900 b. c.. So that chess would
have been known in the once mysterious
land of the Mizraim something like $500
years ago.
1t was north Of the pyramid of King Teta,
or Teti, that two grave-chambers have been
discovered which were erected for two high
officials of that ruler. Their names were
kabin and Meruka, called Mera. The grave
chamber Cmastaba) OF the former consists
OF hve rooms. built up with limestone. Its
walls are covered with exceedingly well-pre-
served bas-reliefs and pictures representing
various scenes. The other grave-chamber
that of Mera, is the most valuable. Until
now, no less than twenJy-seven halls and
corridors have been uncovered. There are
beautiful grave-columns; in the chief room
there is. in a niche. tinted statue Of the
departed, about seven feet high, with a sac
rificial table of alabaster before it. Among
the many wall paintings in this and other
rooms, hunting and fishing scenes. a group
OF female mourners. the three seasons,
Mera and his sons holding each other by the
hand, and Mera playing chess are to be
seen. So grand is the impression this grave
chamber makes upon the beholder that the
Arabs engaged in the work would not call
1t mastaba, but a ''kilissa" (temple or
church). Various valuable sarcophagf have
also been discovered. A structure of colos-
sal dimensions. situated at the western end
of the metropolis. is being laid bare; the la
bors connected with it will probably extend
over several years. Its direction is like
that OF all the buildings of Old Egypt, from
Forth to south
In Abu-Sir also several tombs have been
excavated One of the grave-chambers be-
longing to a certain Ptah-Chepses who lived
under the fifth dynasty, has already yielded
important results, although only two rooms
have as yet been opened. From inscrip-
tions 1T seems that pilgrims had come there
Tor centuries. They are so-caled lotus col
umns, the capitals of which Initiate the
lotus flower. They are said to surpass in
beauty of execution, as well as in antiquity.
those of Benz Hasan, of Luxor, and MEDIA
NUT. Three large statues which have been
found are broken. The remnants of one of
them show 1t to have been seven and a half
feet high.