The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-30
rs 1T A cHALDEAN swoRD'
A RsIie which M.y Have An Important
Bearing on Americas History.

Prom the 81. Jopis Globe. Democrat.
CRY or MEXICO. July 9.-There will shortly
be presented TO the savants Of Europe and Amer
lea a relic which promises TO at once throw light
on the origin Of man In the Western Henri
sphere, and prove the open sesame to further
reading Of the early races Of earth in the far
East. From a rock-hewn tomb In Southern
Mexico there has found the light of day q
bronze and m iron sword, bearing
on It's blade and handle In rich ~inlaying OF
silver characters OF record and representa-
lions Of life distinctively Assyrian and Grecian.
The characters on one side OF the blade are
cuneiform; those on the other cannot be identi-
| fed; possibly they are Hittlte. The first, fourth,
sixth, eighth, and eleventh letters in the easily
| recognizable cuneiform characters Of Chaldean
antiquity are exactly alike as craven upon the
blade; the first. fourth, sixth, eighth, and elev-
enth letters in the mystic inscription on the re-
verse are also Identical. Can this be construed
20 mean that the second inscription can be read
by the first
Il IL in the possession Of Senior Gonzale NJ.
Moliner, q descendant OF one OF the Oldest and
a %GSt IN m'q aSe city d 5f% MeSicS OF fRsi Win T soon IS lay asS Il
before the Smithsonian Institution in person,
s Ss.as SRtil oa sest si on M Il Till Mt Tn ss sw t@s alshti its IS
served after their long siests in ne tG%o:
original. element In total length the
English f%STIG I inches hes 'H Ths roughly wisb hammered DiasS p IRON
blade shows the crudlty Of the early days OF the
the bronze bears testimony to the cunning OF the
silversmiths who wrought the weapon Tor the
Appearance, and accordElhss to the Inscriptions.
Il was q royal arm. for on Its ample hilt i bears
dent wearer. while below in cuneiform - char
acters on the blade are apparently the title and
I'm The sword and scaHSb,ard weigh twelve pounds,
OF the total. On the round head of the pommel
cuneiform date OF thirteen characters. Below
the portrait Of the ruler, and separated from it
tropical angular ornamentation OF .Assyria,
which covers the exposed bronze Of the scab-
hiit, above the guard, is shown a grimm executed
according to Oriental style, and on the reverse
%ish W. the eG Slsde, e are fantastic shS h,'i as az ess b s%Ri1io a
aeters not so easily recognizable by reason
blade is tonsas-shsped being AZ inches "? in
i bears the silver iniaid iiEsnesses Of Bsal and
the early Grecisn Pallas. while running length
title and mama oi it's owner, as can be easily read
by any SCHOLAR familiar with cuneiform CHR
il the middle. character OF the. upper, or title
line. from which the horizontal wedge above
yss, %i Sf sb lst sisd ha: sr ar9 9Be ds 1ns; ao 09 , ,ss. r Of
Baal and Bellona, while below, In correspond
ing position with the cuneiform writings Just
described, Is the mystic inscription which gives
added interest. The holder OF the relic has al
lowed no one as yet to study this inscription.
Although II does not bear great Importance to
the matter, the bronze scabbard for the mas
siye knife Is very interesting. 1t is in two
pieces, the edges being secured to each other by
typical Assyrian type, rich in figure OF scroll and
animal fantasies. AT the top OF the holster Is a
massive button Of bronze for fastening it to the
belt. As an earnest of the great age of the
scabbard. and sword, the wear from chatting
against the wearer Is very considerable.
The story OF the discovery Of this interesting
relic 10 a romance. Seven years agoa curiosity
dealer In the city OF Mexico purchased 1t for a
few reals from an ignorant Indian from Merida,
In the state Of Sucatan. The dealer supposed IL
to be nothing more than an old Roman sword,
such as were often worn by the Spaniards at the
time of the conquest of Mexico. The Indian
said he had found IL in the depths of a tomb
which he had penetrated. and that, with a
bronze spoon. now also in possession OF Senior
Moliner. II was the only thing OF interest he had
found. The sword and scabhard were incrusted
with half an inch of oxidation from their long
burial, and on being cleaned up were offered for
sale TO tourists along with the customary more
or less valuable stock In trade OF an enterpris-
ing curio dealer. For one reason or another 1t
remained In stock until recently. when Il by
chance caught the eve of Se1or Moliner. who
has made an intelligent study of antiquities,
both in Europe and America, and who at once
bought IL at a curiO sale price.