Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1894-11-09
CHALDEAN SWORD IN MEXICO.
a Find Which May Throw Light on the
Popping of This Continent

Popping of This Continent.
There will shortly be presented to
the savants of Europe and America
a relic Of antiquity rescued from the
dust OF the dim dawn of human life
in the western world, which promises
to at once throw light on the origin
of man on the western hemisphere,
and prove the open sesame 20 further
reading Of the early races of the
earth in the far east In a rock
hewn tomb in Southern Mexico there
has been found a bronze and ham,
mered sword, bearing on its blade
and handle in rich inlaying Of silver
characters of record and representa-
tions Of life distinct vely ASSyrian
and Grecian. The characters on one
side of the blade are cuneiform, says
a writer in the st Louis Globe Demo-
cTat; those on the other cannot lie
identified; possibly they are Hittite.
The first, fourth, sixth, eighth, and
eleventh letters in the easily recOg-
nizable cuneifOgm characters of the
Chaldean antiquity are exactly alike
as craven upon the blade; the first
fourth, sixth, eighth, and eleventh
letters in the mystic inscription on
the reverse are also Identical 1t is
in the possession Of Senior GOnZale NJ.
Moliner, a descendant of one of the
Oldest illustriOus families Of Spain,
who is resident in the City Of Mex
leo. He will soon lay it before the
Smithsonian Institution in person,
and until that tine it will not see
the light Of research outside or
Mexico The sword and its scab-
bard of bronze are massive and well
preserved. In total length the sword
is POS inches, with blade of nine
teen inches The roughly hammered
iron blade shows the crudity OF the
early days OF the iron age, but the
exquisite inlaying OF silver on the
bronze bears testimony to the cum
ming Of the silyersmithS who wrought
the weapon. To all appearances, and
according TO the inscriptions, il was
a royal arm, for on its ample hilt it
bears in horizontal lines the crowned
head Of its evident wearer, while be-
low, in cuneiform characters on the
blade, are apparently the site and
/ name Of the sovereign. The sword
and scabbard weigh twelve pounds,
OF which the sword alone represents
two-thirds Of the total.
The store of the discovery Of this
interesting relic is a romance. Seven
years ago a curiosity dealer in the
City of Mexico purchased it for few
paltry reals from an ignorant Indian
/ from Merida, in the State Of Yucca
/ tan, in Southern Mexico The dealer
supposed it to be nothing more than
an old Roman sword, such as were
often worn by the SpaEiards at the
time Of the conquest or Mexico. The
/ Indian sad he had found it in the
depths Of tomb which he had pene-
tfated, and that, with bronze
spoon, now also in the possession Of
/ Senor Moliner, it was the only thing
OF interest he had found. The sword
and scabbard we're incrusted with
half an inch Of oXidiZation from their
long burial. and on being cleaned up
were offered for sale TO tourists along
with the customary more or less vaiu-
I able stock in trade of an enterprlSing
/ curio dealer. For one reason or an
/ other 1t remained in stock until re-
Gently, when it by chance caughJ tho
| eye OF senior Moliner. who has made
an intelligent study of antiquities.
both in Europe and America, and
who at once bought it at curiO-sale
price.