The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-21
DIGGING UP ANCIENT SrSA.
". BE MORGIN'S hEiRCH ifTfH
mn CIUJTIi or IIiW.
Important Archaeological discoveries saw
Tooth.d ~Scytl.s OF the ilni Period
Remarkable ~>rulpinr-d Sieie WIN 'h-
scriptions That Are $3.50 Years VA
Remains of A.snrbnnipaI's Vengeance


From ne Londna I mrs.
Half a century has elapsed since Mr.. Kennel
LOTUS. by his brief excavations. directed at
%tentIon to the archaeological Importance Of eS.
plora,ions on the site Of ancient Susa. At That
| time nothing was known Of the ancient and
rowerful Elami;e kingdom 81 which Susa
| formed the capital. and little cl-o than the r"-
mains OF the palaces Of the AchPmenian kings
were expected. The position Of the two great
,unuii which mark the alto Of the ancient Ella
| mite capitol. il Of great strategic value. The
larger OF the iumuli Is about fifteen hundred
metres In length. and some eight hundred in
its greatest width. The larger mound marks
the site of the Achnmenian capitol. and at It's
northern extremity NJ. Dieula'oy uncovered
the dpaddnds or palaces OF ArtaxerSes.
Mnemon and Darius. during his explorations
In lSSi-lsSi
On his resignation oi his post az director OF
| the Gizeh Museum, M,de Morgan was intrusted
with a special scientific mission to make a
| thorough exploration OF the site; the first re-
suits are made known In his report to the MIN
lister OF Public Instruction. and they fully
Justify the expectations that were formed. II
is no misstatement to say that no explorations
IN Mesopotamia have produced such astonish-
ing results or opened up so many new prob
lens. not only az regards the historic ages OF
the Mesopotamian Valley. but in what has been
entirely wanting-traccs Of prehistoric times.
OF tho stan. NM. Jequier, Lamrre an eau
tier had worked in Egypt especially on
primitive sites. and Father Scheil. "a learned
French Assyriologist. Joined the expedition at a
later period as expert. As LOTUS and Dieulafoy
had been unable to find any extensive pre-Achn'
menian remains In the larger tuuluiaS work was
commenced IN u smaller but lOiticr mound about
two hundred and ATTY metres to the west. This
mound rises to a height OF nearly one hundred
feet above the surrounding plan. and presented
every indication OF being II more ancient ruin.
On his arrival at Susa In Decem Der, 1897. NJ. de
Morgan. who had previously visited the site in
1891. prepared for a thoroughly scientific ex-
p~loration Of the site, and here his previous
training as a g~eoloCist stood him in cool stead.
IA II had previously done in Egypt The skilled
explorer knows that in all ancient sites.
especially in the Fast, the law Of stratihcatIon
holds good. ana that to ascertain the various
strata and their ages il the FIRST task before the
more minute examination can be made.
Starting with a base tunnel which revealed a
yellow |alluyial. he pierced the slope Of the
mound with five tunnels. until the first historic
stratum was reached at a distance Of about
! seven metres UtllN ~ ulltl ~ u INV
mound. It was in the lower tunnels that most
important discoveries were made in the HIDING
Of. no less than three strata Of prehistoric
times. Here, as in all previously excavated
s"tratliled ruins. pottery Afforded important
data. The nrst stratum was Oh metres
above the plain. and showed traces Of a ety.
ilized people. Much pottery. remarkable for
the fneness Of It's glaze and decorated with
,atptnl tattarDa in rod black and brown WaA
discovered. The patterns were chiefly geo.
m %etrical. but some had figures of birds resem-
bling the prehistoric pottery from Nagada, in
Egypt. and the early Greek work. In this
stratum but few worked nints were found. In
the next stratum. l+3p metres, above the
base. the pottery was not 80 me. mostly
vases OF rough earth, but the fint- became
more numerous. and here an important dis:
cOyery was made. In many places heaps OF
small faxed iiints were found which the ex-
nnized as the iitn: teeth Of sickies; and in the
upper portion many such fragments wero
found with the bitumen adhcrlng TO them
which had been used to seal them into the
wooden frame OF the sickle. II will be remem-
bered that the, Egyptian hieroglyph ma. a
sickle. Is colored at MEDIUM and other s'tes as
which flint teeth are set. Here. then, was q
discovery which gladdened the heart OF NJ. lie
Morgan: He had m ma IN ny ESfK KHAN an
Civilization" that cereal growing was. not
indigenous to Egypt but had been introduced
10y an Asiatic race. who naturally brought
with them the instrument with which to reap
the crops. ]. the strata above, the remains ~
these implements were still more numerous
and the teeth polished and worn from usage
stone mace-. one Of the earliest prehistoric
weapons. began 10 appear. Rising now TO another
stratum, twentv.One metres above the base line.
we first find burnt bricks and traces OF build
ings. but no inscriptions whatever. and four
metres higher the first town Is discovered,
the remains OF the most ancient Susa. which
. O., .,... ~ falAnnIla IN vast
found by the American explorers at Nippur-
hut still no inscribed bricks. Above this, at
a depth Of about four END a haIl metres, we
citadel, which was destroyed by AssurDanIpal
Having ascertainel the order Of his strata.
VI. dc Morgan entrusted the work of opening
trenches to W.. e. l.ainprc. Alter passing
through two metres t Persian and Arab debris
the GracO. Persian level was reached. which by
enameie ed vases and coins maybe said TO cover
Il period Of about i've centuries from the Maco-
DOMAIN conquest 10 the rise Of the SuFsanIan
dyndsties- that IL {, $50 to 4. l.; 22'i. Below
this the Elamito stratum was reached, and the
remains Of walls and payementS OF bricks in
scrihed with the names OF EIiinite ruiers- such
nnkhuuta-wrre found and from the amount
u ciud RS and charred wood 1t became evi;
dent that this was the palace DESTROYED
by Assurbanlral in his vengeance on Elan.
Tho terrible destruction by Are and the DELHI
crate ra2ing Of walls made II imposs, bic 10 as
certain accurately the general plans but many
NINfpNfIlfN u ElFib ul'llu'ipb l-sl ga ~ tll''
were made. Tho walls were OF, square, Kiln
burnt bricks tO.35m. So OF bright brown
color, those facing the interior being in
scribrl, 50 that the walls were covered WITH
lines Of writing Along the walls were found
many fragments OF enameiIcd bricks bearing
H. Scrlptions Ur decorative patterns, also pOr-
tons Of bricks with figures Of men and animal.
used to form decorative panels. TINS mole 81
decoration had been familiar 10 Us IN It's high
est style In the Achumenian palace, as Is
shown by the splendid enamellel brick wotS
found by VI. Dieulafuy and now IN the Louvre
It's use by the Elamito rulers IN The "lEhtf
century shows ~ the source from which the
AchBmonian artists derived their inspiration
there are many other indications OF this ln1u'
euCe oi the older Susanian civilization, IN the
larger rooms the bases OF columns were lnund
but from the large quantity Of cindcrS and car
had been rooted ike the Persian dp1lindS.
W" come now 10 the most important ard as
tonishiug discoveries OF the historic period
AsSurbanipll stripped the palace a. tar a. he
could and wrecked II. hut th0re were certain
nun which escaped removal on account
Of their weight. space Will permit us Ia
describe only one. OF these. Torn from its pace
and much injured by fire, the explorers .un.
earthei u large Sise Of yellow limestone, which
stood u feet y inches high and about =
frut IN width at the base. The whole face was
covered hy an elaborate sCu. pturcd ttblcRu
containing. many figures he work j. most
remarkable. both a. "a whole and H. the details
aud. although bearing every mark. of anti
qIlty. may com pare iaN0rah'y with the sCui9'
, lures Of Assyrla. At the top OF the SiPie are
three solar Il scS with their rays. Below is q
Lofty cone representing the peak of a mountain
ON the surface of which T. cut q long In
~criptIOn. Before this stands the king wear
Ing a horned helmet AMI ermei with an
arrow or short sp.Gr in his right hand, d
rOw in his left, He wears n rich robe reach