Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-05-15

GILLIAN Ut n OGf1bI Elm Il h1xN4s
Thebes and Abydos lies a group Of pre-
historic villages and metropolis which
were partly examined last winter by
Mr.. de Morgan himself and others in
the Egyptian antiquities service.
1t was in order 10 investigate anew
all these facts that the director-gen-
eral and Prof. Wiedmann made a re-
cent study of this ground. Many pre-
historic metropolis and stations were
visited, and excavations were made,
corroborating the last years discover
les. But by far the most interesting
find was that of a royal sculpture be-
longing to one of the first dynasties.
This tomb is similar to those explored
last winter by M. Amelineau at Om-
el-Gaab, near Abydos. This tomb.
found near Negada, was built with sun
dried bricks and consisted of twenty
one rooms, containing many objects.
Like the sepultures Of Abydos, it
seemed to have been burnt. NJ. Amel-
ineau thinks that this destruction was
due to Christian fanaticism during the
sixth century of our era, and at the
instigation of the monk Moses, who
was then the ruler of Abydos. Mega
da was, and is yet, a center of a Chris
tian community. In spite of spolia-
ton many objects were still left, among
them 300 large urns sealed with what
is known as the kings banner name"
In this respect also 1t resembles the
tombs OF Abydos. There were found.
also, carved in ivory, lions, fishes, dogs,
debris Of furniture of several descrip-
tions, one gold ornament, a few bronze
fragments, and a great abundance of
broken vases in alabaster, and vases
cut in the hardest materials, such as
quartz, rock crystal, ~obsidian, etc., and
some splendidly cut flint implements.
The examination of this interesting Sc
pulture was made by Mr.. de Morgan
himself and Prof. Wiedmann. They
are now engaged in cataloging the OBJ
jects and preparing an elaborate de-
scription and a complete report of the
find. Prof. Wiedmann was so much
impressed with the Importance Of all
these discoveries that he has decided
to c~ollaborate with MI. de Morgan in
a publication about the origin of Egypt.
1t is impossible to deny to this royal
tomb Of Negada, like those explored
by M. Amelineau, the most remote an
tiquity. The third dynasty belongs to
Memphis (King Djeser's sepulture is
the Saggarah step pyramid), and we
must look to dynasties anterior to this.
The presence of banner names,'' or
names inscribed in a square, instead
of an oval or c~artouche, is an indubit-
able feature of archaism. The presence
of numerous stone cut vases similar in
fracture to those found in prehistoric
tombs is another evidence Of a very
early date; and the same argument
may, be drawn from the cut flint inn
plements discovered there.
Manetho mentions before the first dy-
nasty a setsof "Nekues," or rulers who
governed Egypt. M. Amelineau pur-
poses to identify with them the six
teen names of hitherto unknown kings
he has discovered. "The first three
dynasties are a blank SO far as monu-
ments are concerned writes MI. Film
ders Petrie, while Mr.. Maspero discards
anything prehistoric in Egypt without
discussion. The first king of whom
any recorded inscription exists is
Djeser Of the third dynasty. The his
tory Of all earlier time remains to be
written. When M. Amelineau's discov-
cries Of his unknown kings at Abydos
were mentioned before the French Aca-
denny, 1t stirred up the spiteful bile Of
the high priest Of Egyptology in
France, and If it had been in M. Mas
pero's power he would have excluded
from the Louvre any Of these remains,
among the Oldest known records Of hui
manity. When he en-. Maspero) was
invited by the ~discoverer to visit and
inspect them. he fatty declined
to do SO. and when M. Ameli-
delivered his remarks before the
learned assembly. M. Maspero found
nothing but sarcasm for the new dis