Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-12
OLDEST CITY IN THE WORLD.
The Discoveries of the Haynes Elk
pedition I'm Northern Babylonia.

The Discoveries OF the Hnynes EN~
pedition I'm Northern BabyIonia.
A long and interesting account Is given
by a correspondent in the London Times
of June 2ith Of the discoveries OF the
Haynes expedition in Northern Babyionia,
brief mention Of which was contained in
a recent special cable dispatch to the
Evening Post The writer says:
'"ro have unearthed the ruins Of the
Oldest city in the world. the foundations
of which were laid some six or seven
thousand years before the Christian era,
is a reward OF which an explorer might
indeed be proud Such good fortune
seems to have fallen 10 the lot OF Mr..
Haynes. who for nearly five years has
been in charge Of the American expedi-
ton engaged in excayating the great
mounds OF Nuffar In Northern Baby
lonia. the site OF the ancient city Of
Nippur. the sacred city Of Mul-ll, on the
Older Bel Of the Semtes.
The history OF the expedition which.
since 1858, has worked upon this site is
a remarkable one; and It's great work
has been so quie,ly done that IL has at
tracted but little attention, except among
students Of Assyrioogy. The work was
undertaken by the University of Penn
sylvania, the funds. which have amounted
10 about $1,000 being provided by a small
committee interested in the work. The
expeditions of $3.50 partoOk rather Of
a prospecting survey. and We're under the
direction of DR.. Peters. The trial
trenches produced "A harvest OF about
1000 tablets and inscribed objects. among
them several records Of SargOn /. and
his son. Naram-Sin, whose date. b. c.
$50, was by many regarded as the start
ing point OF Babylonian history. Troubles
among the Arabs, and the usual diff
cuties with the Porte delayed the work
for three years. In 1898 the explorations
were renewed. under the charge OF Mr..
j. II. Haynes, and they have been
carried on continuously ever since, and
have produced results such as were
never dreamed CT, even by the most
ardent advocate Of BabylOnian eXplora-
tions, and the history OF civilization has
been carried back TO an antiquity never
thought Of.
"The great mounds OF Nuffar are stu
ated on the east bank OF the now dry
Shat-en-Ni q great main artery nayiga-
ton canal which once connected Baby
lon with the Persian Gulf The central
feature Of the ruins is n vast conicai
mound. called by the Arabs Bint ell
Amir. the Amir's daughter, which rises
to a height Of nearly % metres above the
surrounding plain. This mound marks the
site OF the sreat zigsurat or temple stage
tower first liiit by ur-Gur, or Ur-Bahu,
as he was formerly called-about ID. c.
$500 and subsequently repaired and
added TO by later kings. This vast
structure was the central point OF the
explorations by Mr.. Haynes.
I'VE have long been familiar with an
other of the great stage towers erected
by Ur-Gur at Mugayyar, the ancient Ur,
but the one at Nlppur Is the first that
has been thoroughly explored. The tower
rests on a basis som. by Bonn. and Is
built like most of these Baby.onian tow
ers, with the angles to the cardinal
points. II appears TO have consisted
Ike that OF Ur Of three stages only not
seven, like the later towers at Babylon
and Khorsabad. Each stage had a
thick coating Of plaster. composed of
clay mixed with chopped straw; and to
protect the lower stage from the winter
rain II was faced with kiln-burnt bricks
and a coating Of bitumen. The ascent
was on the southeast side, and here II
would seem Mr.. Haynes has made a
most important discovery. Two walls Of
burned brick. BAN. high, l623m. long,
anu llll. libHl fdNI VAhNAt NN'~ h''iN NtAN
into the temple courtyard and THIS
causeway was filed with crude bricks
and formed a broad roadway leading up
10 the tower The whole temple eNclo-
sure is surrounded by a massive wall, or
which more than thirty courses are still
visible.
1.-THE arrangement Of this temple and
tower OF Ur-Gur bears most striking
resemblance TO the early Egyptian pyra-
nids especially Medmum and the stepped
pyramid of Sakkara. while the causeway
recalls that of the second pyramid or
Khafra which connects II with the So
called temple Of the Sphinx. The ques-
ton often suggested by archaeologists
has been. Were these stepped pyramids
connected with the temple towers Of
Chaldea or borrowed from them?
There is now. however. possibility or
our reversing this question, In the light
OF these discoveries al Nippur. The py-
ramid we know was but an elaboration
OF the Mastaba, and the resemblance be-
tween these and the towers at Ur ana
Nippur Is most striking. Or. Hilprecht
and Mr.. Haynes maintain, upon very
good grounds, that Ur-Gur was the nrst
10 build these Ziggurats, and there is
certainly no trace Of such edlhces IN any
OF the older cities. those az Iello or La
cash and Abu Habba, the ancient sip
para. being 10th later. At no period In
early ChaKfan history was there so
close a consact between Egypt and Chal-
dea as during the dynasty or Ur-Gur
Dunei and Gudea OF Lagash. These
rulers. as W. know from their numerous
inscriptions found at TellO by NJ. de Sar-
gee. were In constant communication
with Egypt by sea and through the 81
naltic peninsula.
In the face OF this evidence from Nip
pur. we may have 10 reconsider the
question Of Chaldean influence on Egypt
and. indeed, possibly reverse the Old the
orv. The tower rests upon massive
brick platform Of crude brick. Excav.'-
tons conducted below this revealed the
existence Of a second pavement OF much
finer construction, being built or Kun
burnt bricks Of great sze-tne Omen
slons being 5ccm. square and or great
thickness. Nearly the whole OF these
bricks were inscribed. and bore the
stamps of Sargon !. and Naram-Sin. his
son. and its date, therefore. Is just
thousand years prior 10 the buildings Of
Tr-C,ur-namely. b. c. $3.50. From the
inscriptious OF both these kings We know
that they both built large portions Of an
older temple Of Multi. for the bricks bear
the inscription. builder OF the temple
OF Mulln." and dedicated number OF
vases To the temple Inscribed win their
legends. These buildings have been en-
tirely removed and the surface or the
vast platform levelled for the reception
OF the edfces OF Ur-Gur.
"Of the old temple there IS evidence az
forded by a discovery 10 which we shail