The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-04
GOLD In BIBLICAL TIMES.
Mines That Supplied Solomon md
the Queen of Shcba.

. i
conjunction with George Johnson. bsen en-
gagged in the exploration OF some recently
, discovered ancient ruins
They have discovered and brought in
some interesting as well as valuable ex-
ampies OF gold fashioned into a variety OK
forms. such as gold beads, wire. nails.
beaten out sheet. filigree work, "copper"
IRON. strung or covered with gold. etc.
wnich indicate very fairly advanced stage
Oh ciVlilZation. being superior to ANYTHING
the Matabele were able 10 accomplish Mr.
Neal has now examined more than POO
separate ruins in this country during tho
past four years and has arrived a; certain
conclusions respecting them. The letters
i written by, Portuguese jesuit; priests. prv-
served in the archives OF Lisbon. 90 not
date back more than four hundred years..
but recent exploration has demonstrated
that in many cases the statements written,
then are quite trustworthy. and that tradi-
ton orally handed down really does describes
facts. Mr.. Neal gives IN instance OF thu.
tradition says that the people of that ps-
riod. the sixteenth century, living in thfs
country, wore cloth interviewer with gold
thread. This they have discovered ITO be-
/ a fact, as tsome years ago. they found
corpse buried in a ruin situated in tho
\ Umtilikwe hills. near the Shanghai River.
The fabric was in a more or less decayei
! condition.
! Mr.. Meals investigations lead him to he
! conclusion that the ruins are to be referred
! to mainly two distinct periods, eacn OF
| which was historically of l0hg Duration.
| At the Manic ruins. better known ~ hs
name OF Dhlolo. lying some sixty miles east
| OF Bulawayo on the Inssza bait. the d scov-
| cries made indicate that these ruins were
occupied at two different periods. TIE
| lower stonework exposed by excavation 4;
| similar in its elaborate character to tn
OF Zimbabwe, whereas the additions densr
by the later inhabitants are crude in de-
sign and rough in execution, and more
after the style of stonework fore by thai
Basutos today. 1t was doubtless. there.
fore, built about 400 years ago At Isl
particular mine two cannon OF Portug Ieso !
manufacture were discovered. one br1 s.
breech-loader. the other an iron muzzle- I
leader. Additional finds were the p-ivate.
silver seal of a Jesuit priest, an incen Q
ceEser. silver bells. Egyptian bronze oil
lamp. jewelry OF modern manufacture go d
fiigree work earrings. portions Of silver.
wrought with embossed work In the de ign
of vine and grapes ard gold coin CT me-
daliion somewhat smaller than a f5 piece.
On one side of this the surface was perfect
iy smooth. the other had design IL re ief,
exquisitely wrought. of two birds fgEti
over heart, and so clear that you tol,d
see the feathers falling through the air.
Unfortunately. it is believed that this
ICliC, WHICH was QdIGcQ over 10
DR.. Jameson, has been lost
In addition to the articles discovered
which have been mentioned considerable
quantity Of manufactured as well as raw
gold was discovered. which goes to prove
that in those days when communication
took SO long. the Jesuit mission station
Of that period was self-supporting. and
may even have been the medium of a con-
siderable amount of trade. II Is probable
10 n Af r.
extinguished one day Unexpectedly by
hostile tribe of savages. as very nearly
200 ounces Of gold were discovered in these
ruins. which would have been in those days
quite large amount of wealth. 1t would
appear that the priest and his people fill
ed in the ruin as they found it. fer on ex-
cavating to depth of fifteen feet the old
floors and walls OF the original ancients
Who built these forts. or whatever they
may be called, were found. Here On thess
old floors gold beads. etc. were found OF
an altogether different pattern from those
discovered on the upper floors.
Throughout the whole course of Mr.
NeaIs previous investigations in all the
ruins 1t has been his special aim and object
to locate the workshop and smelling fur
naces. but hitherto all his efforts in this
direction have been baffled, as, although
portions OF gold erucibles-that is pots
ised TO smelt gold in-have been found in
'ome eases. yet the exact spot used by the
sorknen OF the past has not been identi-
led. This time success has been attained
which is satisfactory. although the re-
'uits were rather disappointing. The cru
'icles. more or less broken. with few
small leads of visible gold still adhering
10 the surface. were found and Mr. Neal
vas, after very careful working. enabled to
make rough sketch of the site OF tho
furnace and its immediate surroundings
me result was Disappointing in two ways
irst, because no goodly store of gold was
ound. and. secondly. the smelling furnaces
sas no elaborte device. but simply cor
itructed in the style like that adopted
by the Asiatic Indian gold and silversmith
If today and built of clay
The effect is that no light is really
thrown on the question OF whether these
people were in an advanced stage of eiyili-
zatton or were only very primitive work.
srs. Were they thorough adopts IN their
short. what and who were
they? The city furnace. rudely shaped
contained the amalgam 10 bs
;nelted in the pellets or cakes and ery
gold bubbling or splashing over settled
n the clay which gradually accumulated,
resh layers Of clay being added from tima
10 time. In one of these furnaces six
separate layers were found which, on be-
ng broken up, disclosed small pieces O!
melted gold. What fuxes were used to
Expedite the process IL is impossible 10
ay. but probably this could be ascersained
y an analysis of the residue adhering &c
ne sides Of the crucibes.
The peculiar pellets, which at first sigh.
)ok like lead or shot, if cut Will be sound
0 be alloy, and. further, on subiectinG
hem to fire. there will eXude tiny bead,
white metal, which is without doubt
lercury. At last only the small bright
elbow gold button is left Ii appears,
therefore,. quite certain that quicksilve.,
'as known to and used by these people.
Upper was also known. smelted copper
aving been found, and probably they
,shioned bangles out Of copper and over
lid them with gold bands. as portions OF
ron bangles treated in this wa have
cen discovered. Mr.. Neal is of opinion
nat silver was not known TO these an
lent workers in precious metals. as the
lly ru;GS where silver has been found
D far are those of DhlolO. and the silver
angles. beads. etc, are probably due to
he Jesuit priest 1t is not improbable
nat he or his people exchanged silver for
old a large quantity of the former for
smaller quantity of the latter.
On another point Air. Neal hazards a
mcclure which is at any rate piausi-
lie. and in support of which some evil
ence can be adduced. II relates in the
rst place TO the sheet of beaten gold.
hich was probably overlad on wood and
scured by the gold nails discovered. COW
ring either some sacred idol. rod. or state
office.
The great question still remains: Who
ere these people," Now. taking Bibl-
i history as the most authentic. gold
as very plentiful in the time OF King