Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-05-06

"ln penetrating through this debris
numbers of bricks and tablets and frag
ments OF inscribed vases were found
which had been broken up when the city
was sacked, and al length second and
stu more massive pavement was reached.
This pavement was composed OF very
large bricks, bearing the names OF Sargon
and his son, NaramStn, whose date is as
certained to be b. e. 3s01-3750. The writ
ing OF these inscriptions is much more
archaic than those OF Ur-Bau and is an
interesting example OF the transition
from the linear to the cunneiform. On
this same level was found the remains OF
an immense rampant fifty feet thick, built
OF puddled clay and brickwork, bearing
the same inscriptions, reading on the
stamped bricks, 'NaramSin, builder OF
the Temple OF NULL
Passing beneath this pavement the ex
plorers sank shafts until they he'd the
virgin soil, which was found at a depth
OF about thrty-five feet below the second
pavement. In doing this they passed
through two primitive settlements, the
Oldest OF which, judging by the amount
of accumulated debris above it and its
primitive character, cannot be assigned
to later period than about b. {. 5000.
There was no trace OF a temple, but only
OF large sacred Enclosure, in the centre
OF which was an altar OF burnt offering,
upon which deep deposit OF bone ashes
WAS found. In front OF this were found
two large vases, used for publication
evidently the ancient temenoS or harem
OF the primitive settlement. Outside OF
the Enclosure, but evidently connected
with it, was massive platform OF brick
work, the mass of which was perforated
by a number OF small oritices, which We're
found to communicate with an arched
drain underneath. This arch, certainly
the earliest example known, is con
structed OF large uninscribed bricks, ce
mented together with clay.
"Throughout all the strata fragments
OF vases some of pottery, but mostly OF
hard stone, serpentne and diorite-Wer
found, and these seem to have been he
most orthodoX votive offering in this tenn
Pile. In the strata below the pavement OF
Sargon fragments of inscribed and unin
scrihed Vases We're found; but on his
building the city he removed a number OF
these to his own record chamber, where,
together with his own, they were subse-
quently broken ut the stick OF the city.
One OF these mouarch4 dedicated over Il
hundred such VASES, each bearing an i'll
seriptiou OF 100 lines in most archaic
writing. BY the greatest patience, and
almost with he loss OF his eyesigh DR..
Hllpr, chit has Joined tire fragments III
the Constantinoplc museum together, and
succeeded in completing a restoration of
the inscription OF the opening lines.
There are three sets of these vases, be-
longing to three ancient kings, and they
restore to US what we may reasonably call
the earliest known chapter Of history.
The first vases are those of II king
named E-aganna, who claims to have es-
tabIi,hed ',oveignlty IN Erech' and lord
ship in Ur', and Who ruled over the land
OF reeds and canals, the name given to
Sumir, or South Babylonia This mon
arch had one great enemy in the lord OF
the city kingdom OF kish, situated i'll
North Babylona, and the first part of
TINS chapter relates TO MIN reads; ne
'aiueu 'he Guy OF hish' ana Enesun'
King OF hish' he bound, with hordeS OF
the land OF the Bow, his city he spoiled;
MS property win hre' ne burned MS
statue MS precious metal (silNef:}, ana
and his wooden furniture TO Null IN
Nippur he dedicated'
"Here there Is evidence OF some cohsld-
cradle advance IN civillzatloni metals are
worked, cities ouilt, and Kings have royal
treasure ana furniture. Inc next ehaP-
ter Is on the vases OF the hthg LuEal-zas
gl-sL lie vas warrior OF the horde OF
the land OF the bow, whom the Baby
lonians dreaded and called the people OF
eEu heart. On the IAN OF h!sh he took
possession OF that city, ana soon after