The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-18
DISCOVERIES AT NIPPUR.
TEMPLE Library THIS YEARS
GREATEST WORK.

Success Of the University % Pennsyl-
Vania Expedition-Tnblets Now Re-
covered wm Probably Enable the
world 10 Form an Adequate Idea
Of Lie in BabyIon.
From tho New York sun
Io,,don. Aus ls.-Thrce years ago the
remarkable discoveries nude hy the Penn
syIyaula University expedition OF Nippui
carried back the history % che Baby
.oiaan civilization GO q period moro than
800 year before Christ Nippur had thcn
a.cu ldcnsa,d with Calnch. enc 81 tho
Iouf c.les mentioned 10 Genesis, *. lo
ls ,ac beginning of the Kingdom u N.m-
aI Prot Hiiprc-hI ths scientific d.rcc-
of me expedition. has jus, returned
To- Corssan.uop.e. and Co ar interview
4.ta tine respsal ent 81 the Daily News
Us described some % tho principal re-
.ults OF this years work 30 the ancient;
4,y.
I4rst and most impcrf1nt is The difcoy-
sy % the library % tho great temple
80 Niarur As far back as eleven sears
80 when Or Peters Of New York. was
the head al the expedition. Prof liil-
reeht pointed out that the remains 20
a.s Engnry would b- found at the very
kare where TIRE discovery hes taken place
he EAR Ia the course OF three months
80 less than 1890 tablets covered with
-ianelform wiring have been discovered
These tablets are Of a different charao-
CT from those hrst discovered. which
we're mainly private business contracts.
.oiNeyauces. letters srd the Ike Tho
'Rteft ditoJysrIea bear more resemblance
o the con enis o. on ordinary library
4he tablets arc historical pathological ana
NerarN. 1nCy treat % mythology. OF
-r@naf-r aud iexioogrspny. OF science aud
~ nga .hematica. There Is reason 20 be-
love that thcy whl for me first time
.ins@e the world 10 form an adequate ide7
4, Me ia Dahylonia, sach as only could
q possible by the discovery OF a rational
.0Yavy. recording the uational progress
o Literature. science ana thought gem
ATTY. No documeu, le found in this col
eotion 81 a later date than 22s0 p G. A.
bic Gate marks the invasion OF the Elan
tcs. INC fact odds connrmaiory evidence
nat tho Abrnry WAS destroyed during
'hia invasion.
give Years TO secure All the Tablets.
. Prof Hilprech1 estimates that az their
present rate OF working hve more years
WIN De- necessary 20 cxcavate and cx-
fnlre the contents OF the library. He
kinks % probable that the unexpired
part VIII yield $4,000 tablets. As the H.
rrary was one - great rcnown. the chief
Glory Of the temple In early Babylonia.
the chicf college for instruction in law
ard religion. which as Ia an early systems
we're incuricahly bound together. and.
indeed IN an studies Judged worthy Of
attention. Sc is evident that no examina-
fnf Rf fffl
Is Be-. IN fact. hardly TOO much 70 say
hat II the uncxnlored paris should prove
ls rich IN results as that already found
here viii d. no example So the worlds
history. not even n Egypt Of So COM
nlete recovery Of the records OF an am
Client civilization
work on the Library Suspended.
The American expedition had 80 sus-
pend iis Investigation Of the great libra
ry temporarily in order 10 continue SIS
systematic work 40 the temple. and 20
complete the examination 81 the aoulh
and eastern lines OF the wallis OF forth
Rcaslon ~ ancient Nipnur These walls
show clearly the different cpochs IN which
they were constructed. There are. first
portions ~ which the builders were the
pre-Slrgonic rulers These ARE followed
hy The works ~ S1rEon gS0Q y CO and
OF %ar1m-Sin his son: then about 100
years later arc tho foruncatlnns Of Ur-
Cur 20 be followed bv the laser CASTLE
Kings belonging so the comparatively
modern period Of from 100 TO 100 b. g.
The numerous weapons found along the
whole line az fertilization. especially IN
the lower strata. We're welcome material
for determining sho methods employed
by sieginr armies M the earliest periods
% Bahylonian history.
Palace of the Pre-SRrEonic Period.
Ia the course ~ the present excavation
n % lace belonging 20 the pre- Sargent
period was uncovered beneath an accu-
mutation Of seventy feet OF rubbish on
tho southwestern side 81 the Shatt-en-
MI. dividing Nippur In two parts Prof
Hilprccht himself having never been
doubtful as 20 the actual site Of the tenn
pie library ~ Nippur since his first visit
IN Baby onla IN 1892 considers the discov-
cry o. this large building with 60o feet
frontage. which viii probably turn out 20
Do the palace 81 the early priest kings
81 Nlppur. as the most important result
81 this Years campaign. Already the few
rooms cxcavnted have given valuable re-
suits IN the shape OF pre-SarEonic tab
lets. OF seal cylinders Of the earliest type
and clay fgurnes - the early date and
great Interest The palace was very ex-
tensive and 40 least two stories high. Al
a later period u had been used az chief
quarry for furnishing materials for public
ard private buildings In Nippur. From
the Indications which have been met With.
both ln the palace itself and In the ma
terlas which have been taken from q
for building purposes. Prof lHilprecht
anticipates that statues viii probably he
found % character similar TO those
which the French expedition discovered
az Teiio
Remarkable CnIonnnde.
other discoveries made By tho Philadel-
phin expedition are of value. The large
building discovered az the beginning Of
the first campaign. q comparatively well
prcservc% structure with remarkable
,olonnado. has now been cxcavated COM
pleteiy. and IL proves to he a thousand
years later than the Rev. Or. Peters. the