, 1894-12-08


the lawless eXcavator about half ad0Zen YaIu-
able antiquities are destroyed.
Both the French and the Americans have
been digging IN Southern Rabylonia for some
years past; the former at I4I-Loh, and the
natter ut a mound called .NifRr,' where for
M rIy LavarI and Lotus excayated. With
'tho exception IL a few objects which have
made their, way to France and America,
whatever they found has been taken posses
Sion af b> the Ottoman authorities. 1t may
tv remembered that since Mr.. RasSam's eA-
ceptional privileges, obtained for him, by the
late Sir Henry Layard while Ambassador
in .C%oustantiuo ple which enabled HIM to
send to the British Museum every
thing lie found i'll Assyria. BabyIonia and
Armenia, the Porte has presistently refused
to allow tie agents Of foreign museums to
appropriate Or oxport'9ny antiquities out OF
FuPkey. The consequence is that what
ever is found IN the excavations or obtalned
~ purchase hy such agents is taken posses
sion ST by the Turkish Government. Under
.hese rules no fewer than Il cases If antique
ties from the Anne icau d~iggiugs and about
l2.Ql0 Inscribed clay tablets of those of the
French, discovered by NJ. Sarzac at Tel Lob,
have been appropriated by the Imperial de
gate and sent to C0nstantinople.
At Sjppara, S.ohtrr1in (tho site which
was discovered by Mr.. Rassam for the Brit
ish nation about ii years ago. the Ottoman
authorities have been carrying or lately eX-
tenSiye operations under the superintendent
ola Latin priest. At that place a large col
lection Of inscribed clay tablets have been
found and despatched to the Turkish capital.
According to calculation. there must be At the
present time no fewer than 10000 newly
discovered inscribed objects at the Imperial
Ottoman Museum in Constantinople. obtained
from different Babylonian sites. and the
Assyriau scholar may fluid there ample store
for his study, which might add materially to
the existing knowledge of tire ancient history
of ChaIdea and Assyria.
Two black basalt statues, covered with fine
insert .ior have also been fornd 10y the
Arabs: one at Iniaileoba, the site of the great
palace Of the Kings IF I lbylon, where
6elShazzar was supposed to have held his
impious feast, and thu vther ia q cave near
Nimroud, on jhe opposite side Of the Tights,
about 20 miles to the t9uth Of Mossul.
These images have also been appropriated by
the Ottoman authorities and sent to Con-
stautirople. i.
The greatest find by Arab diggers Of
inscribed objects that has come to light
lately was at IelSLoh, after NJ. Sarzac.
the French agent. left. They discovered
a large chamber full Of inscribed clay
tablets. most Of which they sold to Armenian.
Syrian, and. Jewish brokers for expectation
to England, France, Germany, and America,
Part Of the collection has already .edched
London aud Paris, but the remainder hos been.
seized by the Ottoman authorities at Bagdad,
and some Of the Arabs. have been arrested and
fined for breaking the law. Unfortunately,
the local authorities clock the stable door
when the steed is stolen" because thaty try
to stop. the illegal digging when it is too late
to prevent valuable antiquities from being
destroyed through the negligence and apathy
of the Turkish officials.