The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-09
Stone TABLET dug Up
AT Susa Is Declared to be
$3.50 Years Old.
OPENS A NEW CHAPTER
In Human History = Susa's
Archaeological Wealth.

just been identified by the scientists OF
Europe at Paris.
The monument was first uncovered by
Professor De Morgan, but its origin was
in doubt. 1t was found at Susa, and was
| erected $3.50 years ago. De Morgan had
thought at first that it was Elamite. but
| Father Schiele has now shown it to be
| Babylonian.
At the top are three suns, curiously
represented. Below these stands the
| King with helmet on his head and an
! arrow in his right hand. the bow in his
| left. He wears a robe reaching below the
| knees an sandals, while a dagger hangs
| in his girdle. His beard is long and trim
med in the usual fashion. He treads IN
| der foot several dead enemies, and an
other wounded one is trying to pull out
the arrow which has just struck him in
the breast. while little beyond still an
other raises his hands in supplication.
Below the King, and mounting the in
cline, come three standar bearers. arm
ed with all kinds of weapons, while fac
ing them are two trees, between which
some of the enemy are represented as
| turning toward them with a supplicating
air. 1t is evident from the grouping and
arrangement that the entire scene was
laid in the mountains; the King followed
10y his standard bearers and soldiers, pur-
sues his enemies as far as an abrupt cliff.
which is covered with a long inscription.
This inscription IS the key to the whole
question as TO when and by whom this
stele was set up. 1t is Babylonian. King
Naram-Sin was the son of the famous
Sargon, so long thought 10 be a myth.
Professor Hilprecht, the Assyriologist of
the University of Pennsylvania and of the
American expedition at Nappur, after ex-
amining the finds made at that place
belonging 70 the period of Sargon and Ma
ram-Sin, did not hesitate TO declare that
this was the period of the Flower of
Babylonian art" 1t was known that
Sargon extended the empire of Babylon
as far as the Mediterranean Sea on the
west and conquered Elan on the east
Naram-Sin is known in the monuments
as the founders OF the Temple OF Sha-
mash, at Sippar, and also of the Temple
of EMIL, at Nippur. His name means
Beloved of the Moon God" and he was
very fond Of erecting temples to his gods
and monuments to his own memory. In
1892 a monument erected by him near
Diardekir. on the upper Tigris. was dis
covered and taken to the museum at Con-
stantinople The subject goes back 70 the
legend of Gilgamish, the Babylonian MIN
rod who conquered the Elamite hero
KhunIbaba in the region of the dark pine
forest 1t is almost six thousand years
old, and extends the traditional history
of mankind at least a thousand years
further.
The Importance of the excavations at
Susa can hardly be exaggerated. De
Morgan's preliminary report to the
French government is only an introduc-
ton, but is serves to prove tn impor-
tance of the work which has been under
taken What stands for Susa now is
nothing more than series of cells or
mounds, the chief one of which rises
about hundred feet above the plain.
The work was begun by cutting tunnels
into this mound, five in number, and
while some historic ruins were found at
a depth of twenty-five feet, the most i'm
portant discoveries were made in the low
est strata
De Morgan believes that the abandon
ment of Susa, 227 c. E, was brought
about by a change in the course of the
river. but no matter how 1t was when
the Sassanian Dynasty acquired Persia, /
Susa ceased to be a living city. The
surface of Susa De Morgan finds occupied
by ruins Of the Graeco-Persian period. /
This was the time OF Alexander and his
SUCCESSORS, who conquered Persia and in
trod1ced Greek civilization there Pre-
ceding the time Of Alexander. Susa was
ruled by the dynasty founded by King |
Achaemenes. which developed its great |
est power under Cyrus. and became ex- |
tinct when Xerxes Codomanus was over |
come by Alexander the Great. Every /
school boy has heard OF Cambyses Cy- /
rus. Xerxes. Darius and Artaxerxes. and /
they did much for improving the capital. /
Susa- Remains of the great palace. or
Apadans, built by Darius and greatly |
improved by Artaxerxes, have been found /
IN the tell; beneath these remains lie the 1
prehistoric monuments. what Mr.. De .
Morgan calls Anzanite or Elanite re-
mains. Il is however. doubted row
whether he has reached anything that
can be truly called AnzaDite. for the de-
ciUherments Of Father Schell indicate
that these prehistoric ruins are purely /
Babylonian.
De Morgan himself. estimate that he
viii have 20 spend at least forr years
more upon this mound, 50 there * no
doubt that ne vii ind some remnants
OF raLs earliest period But the impo--
lance q this STEELE q Naram-Sin, and
many other Assy-rfan inscriptions found !
at the same lime are very great. Il was /
hardly 70 be expected that tfs French
explorers working at SDsa would Be able
to confirm the discoveries made b. Amer
lean explorers At $ipp1zr hunare5s o
miles awaE- Yet any ore acquainted with
the Assyrsan inscriptions viii not be
greatly surprised.
IN the SpsTroH collection IN The British
Museum ara fragments o many poems
v.Alih formed part % Bsbyi9niau IL
bra-y. 81 the the q ArchaeTner5sss Tasy
are evidently c03Ies % veTy mgch more
ancient originals. and refer 70 tts fncur-
sso1s % TIE E.l2nitss into BabyiouIa-
TIE hostile Elsnni,s made ready his team.
Down toward Bo-ssDga turned ne - fare
And he DESCENDED tire right rad q dark
ness. TIE nIsa road % Atsakl.
TIE eyfl-dos-. The Elami5e. Destroyed the
val
TIE princes destroyed lie T.ta
re swJ-s.
All ne SPOTS O. tfe Tsupse plunseres D.
He took the.r gds aa4 Carried rhsn
away % Kan
II lase-ip.soa q Assurasn8paI. -
states that - a1rut s1s city - Ssz&a,
and me fzr- Il goz- rs i-4Nc-7rfson hzs
been ccna-rne3 ~ De s.o-szn.s Sascev-
erses. for zsauT - zaeze monuments /
saos traess x re nrs z1tA w1s1a ~
city ard palaces slazs k24vs a<ea &C.
st-rye5