The Delawarean., 1900-05-30

giver - Tablets nnd FrescOes Dis
covered--Gen.siie Records os My
cenpnn Age, About 14ao d. G.. of
Rare Vnlue.
At a meeting cf Tie l,ost distin-
guishcd arch1 iogists Of America,
held recently il the architectural Ii
brary of FaYemeycr hall Columbia
university. letter was read reporting
what is regarded as one of the most
important archaeological discoveries
yet made in the interest OF modern
science, SAYS the New York Herald.
Writing to Professor IoN ler OF the
Western Reserve university, at Cleve-
land Professor Pufus T.. Richardson,
formerly professor Of Greek at Dart
mouth and for the last ten years in
charge Of tho American School of
Classical Studies, in Athens, Greece.
tells Of the discovery. Under date of
Athens. April II. Professor Richard
son tells OF the receipt in Athens of a
telegram from Crete, signed by Pro-
fessor Arthur j. Evans who for four
years has been engaged under the aus
pices of British scientists in making
excavations at and around Cnosus, or
Enossos. Tie site Of what is believed
to have been the ancient capital of
Cree ana the seat of government of
the faaled Nlinos lie great Cretan law
giver. famous in Gieean legend as the
son Of Xeus Professor Evans. who is
the director of the Ashilalaan museum
at oxford and the son oi Sir John
Evans, distinguished British arch@-
ologist, telcgraniiS:
Building on my site At Knossos proves
to be the MyccnTan palace. containing
relies Of extraordinary Importance.
Question Of Aiycei!Aan writing finally
settled , umbcrs (of paiace) contain
whole series of clay tablets analogous
to Bahy!ani;n, but with indigenous
Cretan script. probahiy palace archives.
On south front fore hall OF megaron,
has come to light, and in adjoining
corridor large piece of fresco repre-
senting full size figure of girl in My
cenman costume. holding long vase.
Colors brilliant. and grace of form sur
passes anything yet known of this pc
riod. Remains belong to great Myce-
moan age, about 400 b. c.
Professor Richardson, after quoting
the telegram. adds: "rhis seems impor-
tant enough for you to have it for your
summary of archaeological news. and,
as it is to 30 to the public, l send it TO
you that you may not only know it,
but help to spread it."
Those to whom the letter was read
form the council of directors of the
American Institute of Archaeology.
Professor r. d. Seymour of Yale eX-
pressed the deepest interest in the COM
munication. Others who listened to
the report of the discovery and COM
mented on its great Importance were
Professors w. w. Goodwin of Harvard,
Allan Marquand of Princeton. ]. Il.
Wheeler of Columbia. Mention Warren
of Harvard, e. L. Merrill of Wesleyan,
b. Perrin of Yale. G. II. Young of Co
iumba, A. l.. rockingham, Jr, of
Princeton, John William White of Har-
ward, f. G. Babbitt of Trinity, G.
Howes of the University of Vermont,
]. H. Thayer of Harvard, S. G. Ash
more of Union II. S. Tisdall of the Col
lege of the City of New York and F.
W. Kelsey of Ann Arbor university.
From a pathological point of view,
some of the scientists present were dis
posed to regard Professor Evans dis
covery as probably of greater mo-
ment than any made by the late dis
tinguished German American eXplor-
er, DR.. Henry Schliemann, who uncov-
k, I, 81, l.
of Agamemnon at Mycena the site of
Homeric Troy, at Hissarlik, with the
house and the gate of Priam, and made
many other marvellous discoveries.
Professor Evans confident state
ment, question of Mycen9an writing
finally settled" coupled with his re-
port of n whole series of clay tablets
apparently inscribed with the palace
archives, aroused marked enthusiasm.
Hitherto the only specimens of the My
cennan writing found in Crete have
been single character or hieroglyphs
engraved upon agate or other cut
stones. AS Professor Wheeler explain
ed. the present discovery of tablets of
continuous writing, with Babylonian
characteristics, gives excellent ground
for hope that scholars may be able to
decipher it, just as the cuneiform in
scriptions have been deciphered, and
in this way much light may be thrown
not only upon the origin, but upon the
history of this Mycenaan civilization,
which antedated the adoption of the
Phnnician alphabet.
CDR. Evans work." said Professor
Wheeler, sis really continuation of
that begun and vigorously prosecuted
until his death ten years ago by DIR.
Schliemann. The fact that similar dis
coveries are now being made in the is
land of Crete to those already made in
Mycenm and elsewhere by DR.. Sclie-
mann strengthens the belief long held
by scholars that there was a high and
ancient civilization, with it's center per-
haps in Crete, which afterward spread
throughout the Grecian archipelago.
'The tablets may go far to establish
.s,,;,1 oI, ofa faricfiaG of that