The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-01-26
OLDEST OF ALL GAMES.
Chess, According to Recent Discoveries u
Egypt, Was Known 5000 Years Ago.


Chess, According to Recent Discoveries u
Egypt, Was Known 5000 Years Ago.
Chess players, with turn for the
history of their strategic amusement.
will be interested to learn that all the
hypothesis as to the origin Of the game
have suddenly been mated" by a re-
cent extraordinary discovery in Egypt.
It was generally assumed until now
that the ancient Indians invented
chess; that Il was introduced from In
dia to Rersiasm che 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 in
vented many things in times long gone
by which had afterward to be invent
ed in Europe-assert that they
can trace chess in their own
country to about two hundred
years before our era. Now,
there can certainly be no doubt that in
the character of the figures at present
used, and in some of the words con.
nected with the game-such as
'schach'' SHAH matt, or "mate'-an
Indian. Persian and Arabic influence 10
traceable. But here comes news of the
latest excavations on the pyramid field
of Sakkara, which have brought to
light a wall-painting, on which high
official is represented as playing chess
with partner at the time c. the gov
eminent of King Teta, who belonged
to the sixth dynasty. Prof. Lepsius,
formerly assigned the reign of that
monarch to about the year 27oo B. c.
Prof Brugsch, correcting this chro-
nology, puts it back to still greater an.
tiquity, namely to the year 5000 B. G.
So that chess would have been known
in the once mysterious land Of the Miz-
rain 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 erect
ed for two high officials of that ruler.
Their names were Kabin and Meruka,
called Mera. The grave-chamber
(''masta ba") of the former consists of
Eve rooms, built up with limestone.
Its walls are covered with exceedingly
well-preserved tbasreliefs and pictures
representing various scenes. The other
grave-chamber, that rof Mera, is the
most valuable. Until now no less than
twenty seven halls and corridors have
been uncovered. There are beautiful
grave-columns; in the chief room there
is. in niche, tinted statue of the de-
parted, about seven feet high, with a
sacrificial table of ala baster before it.
Among the many wall paintings in
this and other rooms, hunting and
fishing scenes, 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 en-
gagged in the work would not call it
''mastaba," but ''kilissa" temple or
church,. Various valuable sarcophagi
have also been discovered A structure
of colossal dimensions, situated at the
western end of the metropolis, is being
laid bare; the labors connected with it
will probably extend over several years
Its direction is, like that of all the
buildings of old Egypt. from north to
south.
In Abu-Sir also several tombs have
been excavated. One of the grave
chambers belonging to certain Ptah-
Chepses, who lived under the fifth
dynasty, has already yielded important
results, although only two rooms have
as yet been opened. From inscriptions
it seems that pilgrims had come there
for centuries They are so-called 'lotos
columns" the capitals ofwhich initiate
the lotos flower. They are said to sur
pass in beauty of execution, as well as
in antiquity, those of Benz Hasan, of
Luxor, and Aedamut Three large
statues which have been found are
broken. The remnants of one of them
show it to have been seven and half
feet high.-Pall Mall Budget