The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-05
DISCOVERIES IN EGYPT.
Inc Iofnb- OF Hitherto Unknown
Race Found Near Thebe-.
New York Sur


New York Sun.
The soil OF Egypt has Just Yielded Nd
another secret which zrchaeologists and
the world al .arge will receive wtth the
keenest interest Prof. Flinders Petrie
VINO IS the greatest OF modern Ggyptol0-
slsts. announces the discovery OF a new
race. whose existance has hitherto been
unsupported, Ia that ancient land He
has Just returned from a three morths'
search IN the district between Ballas and
Negadeh. thirty miles north 90 Thebes
lie uncovered the remains OF several sue
cessive dynasties or great classical inter-
est in the ruins OF the ancient town Of
Nuot. They we're discovered less than a
quarter OF mile away from The remains
OF another city, which Is utterly differ
ent In ali its contents from anything
heretofore found in Egypt. II the town
had been found in Syria or Persia. TO
one would have supposed il was con-
nected with Egypt. Not only was the
town found. but also series OF GENE
teFies OF the same race. Nearly ESQ
graves were excayated. Every objct was
noted In position, and everything was
preserved and marked by Petrle and his
assistants.
The result was most strange and mex
plicaoIe- Not single Egyptian object
was found; not a scarab. hierogiyph,
kgyptian bead, god, or amulet such as
are abundant ia the neighboring Egyp-
tian town. Not a body was mummifsd
or buried at full length. All were CON
tFacted. with their knees bent up 10
their arms The age OF these people Sas
the next problem. Little by little the ex-
piorer limited their epoch until he can
definitely say that they lived between
the seventh and the ninth dynasties,
or about 5000 Il. &. They probably were
the people who overthrow Egyptian civ
ilization at the close OF the old kingdom.
and produced the dark age Of the seventh
and eighth dynasties, when the Egyp-
tians seem 10 have been oppressed ty
disaster. IL Is clear that the physiog
nomy Of the race was fine and powerful.
without a trace OF prognathism- Their
stature was remarkable. some being over
six feet IN height The create develop
ment OF the legs points 10 their having
been Hill race. Their hair was brown,
wavy, and not crisp. The prominent.
aquiline nose. and long, pointed beard
gave a stronge Tescm blance to the Lihyan
and Amorite type. one remarkable Gus
tom was the eating of portions Of the
bodies of deceased persons. The head
was almost always severed from the
shoulders. and the hands were often re
moved Pottery was placed over the de-
Capitated neck. In one place was a hand
ful of ribs. I'm another a handful OF arm
bones. elsewhere a pile OF vertebrate. The
bones of several bodies were heaped to-
round a pit, each with their ends broken
OF and the marrow soooped out All
these things point undoubtedly TO cere-
mouial cannihalism.
II is not to be Inferred that this i'm
piled ignorance of civilization. In many
lines of pottery. flint working. and bead
making these people were the equals or
superiors OF the Egyptians. Their arts
were well advanced in most ways. bat in
two directions there was a low level.
No writing was known beyond personal
marks Drawing and sculpture were in
q rude condition. Metal. however. was
well known. Copper chisels or rather
ADDE'S. show that the people were IA
millar with woodwork. and traces OF
finely carved bed frames with bulls feet
were found Copper needles show that
sewn garments were used. and copper
harpoons were made. Flint work was
more highly developed than among the
Egyptians. The forms OF knives differ
from any Of the Egyptian race, and the
exquisite maChine-like taking OF them
shows the highest skill
Who this unknown race were and
whence they came cannot yet he decided.
Their pottery shows some peculiar re-
semblance 10 tina. Of the Amorite period
in Palestine on the other hand. several
connections point westward 70 Malta and
Italy Prof Petrie found ample evidence
in the same neighborhood, which is
high plateau 40 feet above the level az
the Nile Of the existence OF race Of
men antedating al history by many thou
sands Of years. Large. massive fiints.
beautifully worked and uuworn, were
discovered OF exactly the same forms as
these well known I'm the river gravels of
France and England. The enormous age
az these was shown by the black and
brown staining or them. while others
90 years old. by their side. showed
scarcely n tinge Of weatherinr. Besides
these. other fints 81 later palaeolithic
type are found embedded IN the ancient
gravels 81 the former high Nile