The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-09
REMAINS OF OLDEST EGYPT
TONES or SIXTEEN Kings OLDER
THAN M FIRST DYNASTY.
VI. T.. Amelineau's Discoveries In the Me-
crOpOlis Om el-GiR'nb -Stelcs on the TOmbs
Prove Their Royal character Marvel
louS Knowledge for the Times Pieces
of GIass Pound and InlHiI Work.

~ r'H -
louS knowledge for the Times Pieces
of Glass Found and Iniaid Work.
Students ot Egyptian history have hitherto
had to depend upon Ia" fragmcntary accounts
Of ManctIo, or the SCRAPS of the Turin lhryrus
for their chronology uf the earliest period in
that land Of mystery. Many h0v" been
tempted to doubt the correctness Of the state
ments Of Manntho IA to the first four dynas.
tics from M"ncs TO Suufrn. holding that Mcncs
himself was nothing moro than n myth. The
actual discovery Of the tomb Of M"nes al Me-
gada and of the other monarchs of the first two
dynastics at Abydos has settled definitely the
historcity Of their reigns. But tn" explorers
have been struck bv the fact that the tomb Of
the first OF these great kings. who fouriehcd
about 1000 wears Il. C, displays n remarkable
advancement in art which must have been
accompanied by no mean civilization.
Now, however. VI. T.. Amelincau. who has
distinguished himself hy some startling dis
]covcrics al Ahydos. notably the tomb Of Osiris.
as was announced last spring. publishes Il full
account of his first campnign on that ancient
site. showing that he has found the names and
tOmbs of ut least sixteen kings who rcigned in
Egypt before Mencs. The most remarkable
fact. however. is IT that even then these pharaols
claimed supremacy over both Iprcr and Lower
Egypt, proving that Mcncs was by no means
tn" founder OF the united kingdom. This dis
covcIy carries the date Of tn" history Of Egypt
back at least several centuries. and forms the
connecting link between history since the time
OF Mcnrs and IT," earliest Of I'll" kings whose
tombS VI. Amciincau discovered a~ftcTward,
proving that the gods Osiris. lIorus. &C., were
the first monnrchs at that distant time. when
civilization had its birth On Egyptian soil.
This explorer found the clue TO his cxrava-
tions in ancestor worship, which. lie holds.
played as prominent 4 part in the life of the
ancient Egyptians "a it does now in China. lie
devoted his time to an examination Of the
metropolis Om el-Ga'nb Mother Of pots. SO
called by the inhabitants on account Of the
millions upon millions 81 pots which have been
deposited there by countless generations Of
pilgrims to the tombs Of the early kings. Dig
GinG beneath this mass Of debris. VI Am"li-
| neau found the most ancient tombs ever dis
covered in Egypt. The mode Of burial was
in itself Il proof OF high antiquity. The
tombs were never more than five feet long,
showing that the bodies were not deposited
at full length, but were Curlcd up. In fact. scv-
| cral skeletons found were lying on their side.
| the knees drawn up to the head. the arms iy-
ing under the head. OF course there was no
such thing as mummiilcation at that time. and
it is only due to the dryness ol the soil that any
human remains were found. Unfortunately.
most Of the tOmb5 had been partly destroyed
by fire. whether by despOilerS or in accord
ancc with a custom prevalent among the an
"icnt Babylonians Of lightin. a lire over
the tomb at the time Of burial cannot be dc.
cided definitely.
Still many objects were discovered shedding
light upon the state Of culture Of the period.
and these were carefully collected aud studied.
The tombs were built Of rude bricks. So UNI
evenly laid that it seemed as If these early
| nuo,,p l.,n,y ,,AtL;r, - ., ,l,.l If. nv
floor Of the tombs OF the kings was Laid with
heavy planks OF sycamore wood. fastened to-
gether hy strips Of copper. The ornament
were sometimes crude and at others well fin
| ishcd. ono bone. carved into the share Of a
hand. se"med comparable to the relics Of Eu-
ropcan cave-dwellers. The Inscriptions were
! so primitive in form. that neither their li-crv-
( rrcr nor the other EEyptOl"gi-ts to- whom he
submitted them could rad many Of them
~Arrowhead1 were found made Of polished
stone, which VI. Amcl!nrau h"IirNrs ar" much
older than the Danish ,arrowhcais hrthort"
considered the Oldest. With these wrr" SON"
knives and saws II remarkable everution.
Bui thr disc teri"r point .uE most absolutely
to the historical value Of these researches were
steIe- bearing IL" names. OF sixteen kings
whose names had not been found before. Their
disr"rercr compared these with all Of the
Egyptian rnyaltie. in the museum a. Gizoh.
and could, not find on" resembling those found
by him. He knew that they were tn" names Of
kings because" OF the hawk .rerched on top Of
tut. not finding IN" names, he was cOmpcllrd
TO ronrIud" that he had discovered some new
or rather some very old mOnarrhS antelatiuE
Mcnes. This was his conclusion cScn be-
for" the discovery Of 'h" tolMb Of Osiris.
which confirms his theory. The names of
these kings are not Vet determined d"ilnitc,y.
one of them l. Indicated simplv ht Il serpent.
which no one can explain. TN" hirrnElN pls %
another NJ. Amellu"au roads Nrn. am! sim
another he reads "Ql.' The ~trl"- Of Il large
numhcr Or private indiNiuutiS wore also rOuui.
with tablets which can he explained only H.
having been erected L, IN" dogs buried with
their masters. TIA" t0nh~ of the kings were
arranged in groups, III" central room having
been intended Tor the King himself. WhIl" ia
the other room around him wcro buried the
remains OF his familyur his advisers and th.ir
wives. for the names Of many women wer.
found in these smaller rooms.
II" mass Of pottery found was varied and
Interesting. ranging all til" way from coarse"
ilat'S and NGu"rr-. lrr"gularly formed. to ulnb-
ora'" vases adorned with pictures aud inSrrip-
tioM, III liEh artistic value. some ni inc large
jar were titled with food for the SPIRITS OF the
dead. othcr- contained statucttr~ and leave 81
trees evidently intended Tor food. Many OF th,
Jars were closed with clay shoppers on which
were stamped IN" names esther Of the dead
or Of the contents. In these stamuS ;r.
found some of the earliest hi"roglvIhS
known. the designs on the vases. tlDtuh
rude. are et'll most realistic. proving NAT