Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-12
part. A similar wall. but less than half
as thick was found by NJ. de sarzec at

IeilOs
Directly to the southeast OF the great
tower and close to the great rampant Mr..
Haynes discovered chamber lin. long.
3.5fm. wide. and go high. As there was
no doorway, 1t was evidently a vault en-
tered from above. Its floor rested upon
the platform OF Naram-S!n. and II formed
a communication between the two strata.
The inscribed bricks proved Il to have
been built by Ur-Gur. What was its par
pose Is explained by the discovery OF a Sc
cond chamber Of the same kind imme-
diately below II. In this second chamber
a brick stamp OF Sargon was found I'M
bedded and broken stamps and some few
tablets were found In the room. The ex-
PLANTATION is now easy. Round the walls
ran narrow shelf, on which some tab
let's and brick stamps were found. The
chambers of the temple, the smaller one,
that of Sargon. which had been partly
restored by Ur-Gur. while the second was
that of the King. built up TO the level OF
his own pavement.
1T is clear that at some time between
the time Of Ur-Gur b. c. 2SO0. and the
rise of the Kassite dynasty. b. C. 200, the
archive chamber had been broken into
and large numbers OF objects carried
away and the rest broken and scattered.
There can be little doubt that this dis
aster took place during the terrible
Elamite invasion. i'm b. c. 22S5, when ali
the principal temples were pillaged ana
their treasures carried to the Eiamite
capital.
Mr. Haynes, encouraged by the success
Of his work in the upper stratum, pro-
ceeded TO excavate 10 reach the virgin
soil, which he did at the depth OF S.3
metres, passing through the debris or
ruined buildings, accumuations OF broken
pottery and fragments of inscribed stone
objects and well-constructed drains.
These remains prove the existence OF
at least two temples below the pavement
of Naram-Sin. which at the most rapid
rate OF debris accumulation cannot be
assigned TO a later date than between
six and seven thousand years before the
Christian era.
This lowest stratum has been much
disturbed and the buildings pillaged still.
sufficient remains to reveal TO us earlier
phases of Babylonian civilization than
We have ever seen. The first structure
discovered was an altar OF sundried
bricks, Am. by 2.46. The upper course
had rim Of bitumen, and upon the altar
was q large deposit white ashes Round
the altar was a low wall marking the
closure were found two immense vases
Of terra Gotta. These great specimens
of early pottery were each 63.5cm. high,
and decorated with rope pattern. We
have here in this simple. sacred precinct
the germ from which sprang the great
temples Of Chaldea--the altar, with It's
teminos. entered only by the priest, and
the two great vases for purifica-
ton. replaced In after-times by the
greater and lesser absu, placed be-
fore the temples. somewhat sim
liar construction was discovered at
Sippara. but its archaeological value
was not recognized. Southeast Of
the altar was found a remarkable
structure, a brick platform, I'm. square
and 33Sm high built Of fine, unbaked
bricks. Round the base Of this Mr..
Haynes found quantity OF water-vents,
which indicated a connection with some
receptacle below. and on sinking beneath
this solid mass he found a drain passing
underneath the platform, In the roof OF
which was the earliest known keystone
arch. IL is lem. high and has span
Of 5lcm. The bricks are well baked and
Joined with stiif clay as mortar. Thus
the priority OF Chaidea IN the use Of the
kCystonc arch is clearly established.
the pavement Of Ur-Gur and 4.67 below
that of Naram-Sin. and, since there were
no massive ziggurats or great temples
TO crumble into ruin It must have taken
many centuries to build up so great a
mass OF debris, and an estimate of from
1850 TO 1000 years before the time Of Sar-
Con does not seem too high.
"Over 5000 tablets, as well as hume
rous inscribed fragments Of vases and
stelae. have been recovered from this
site II must be remembered that the
record chambers Of both Sargon and Ur-
Cur were sacked by the Elamite invaders
of Kudur- Nakhunte In Is. G. 1895. and this
VIII account for so few inscribed records
being found in the lowest strata. That,
however there had been numerous records
Of the -Sargon period which had been
removed 10 the treasury Of Sargon, and
subsequently to that of Ur-Gur, is shown
by a most important find. Under a
pavement of Ur-Ninip, a king Of the
dynasty Of Ur-Gur were found quanti-
ties-some hundreds-of broken vases and
other objects that had been yotive offer
ings TO the shrlnes OF Mullil from the
earliest times
"Au Of these records relate to a Sc
ries Of primitive wars and form certain
ly, whatever their age may be, the Oldest
historical records known. The earliest OF
these is the inscription Of Eshagsa CANA,
written in most archaic characters-this
monarch is STYLED Lord OF Kengi,' that
is. Lower Babylonia the land OF chan
nes and reeds In his time the chleI
enemy Of Babylona was the city OK kish,
the modern Ell Hymer, whose priest ruler
had entered into alliance with some fierce
tribes called the hosts Of the Land OF
the Bcw' The closing episode OF
this first Of wars IS supplied by a monu-
ment discovered by NJ De Sarzec at Tello
the celebrated stella OF the Vuitures. now
in the Louvre. In this monument erect
ed by the King Of Lagash. when n dy-
nasty Of kings was established after that
Of Ur, we have the record illustrated by
sculpture OF the King. who made victo-
rious campaign, and utterly defeated the
'hordes OF the Land Of the Bow
After this, neither in the campaigns
Of Sargon or his son nor In any chron-
icles OF the Babylonian empire, have we
any record Of these people. Who were
they. then? Professor Hilprecht has put
forward in a most dOgmatic manner,
a theory that they are to be Identified
with the Semitic tribes OF North Mesopo-
tamia. and that the city OF the Bow
was Harlan. He cites no ancient
authority, no pre-Sargonlc mention
OF Harlan. but only statement
OF Albiruni that Harran was
built In the form OF a crescent
moon, and that the plan Of the
ruins resembled bow. IT Is surprising
10 SEQ so brilliant a scholar using so
feeble an argument. II Is rather 10 the
plains OF Central Mesopotamia and the
lowlands between the Tigris and the
Kurdish mountains that we must look
for the home OF these nomadic warriors.
1--WE have been able TO give only a
brief account OF the wonderful work
OF this campaign, which reflects 50 much
credit on its organizers, and, above all
on Mr.. Haynes. For thirty-two months