The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-03
DISCOVERIES AT NIPPUR
Americans Lead in Investigations
Of the Buried City.
Prof. Hilprecht, of Pennsylvania Uni
versity, Returns After IA Years
Work in Babyionia-Whnt Che En-
pert Discovered During His Ardu-
GUS Observation-Disclosures Records.

NOV 3--PTO1. herman
o. Hilprecht, instructor in Semitic Ian
guages and archaeology in the University
of Pennsylvania, after an absence of one
year in the capacity of superintendent Of
excavations at the ancient city Of Nippur,
in Babylonia, has returned to Philadelphia.
The professor was net in Brooklyn as he
disembarked from the steamer Friedrich
der Crosse, of the North German Lloyd
line. by his assistants. Drs. A T. Clay and
v w Dipple. of the university On the
way home he had stopped in ConstantinopIe
to arrange for the shipment of articles
earthed. and in Germany. where he visited
his wife and ether relatives.
Since leaving Philadelphia in November,
1899, Prof Hilprecht has conducted the
most successful seasons work in arch
geological exploration ever known AS
result of his labors the knowledge of the
world is enriched by information that will
make almost complete history of the peo-
pie who lived In Babylona 1900 years
B. c., period anterior to even the found
ing of the city of BabyIoni& Because of
his unbounded successes the name of Prof
Hilprecht has appeared in all of the lead
ing journals Of the Old World during the
past fall and summer; he has been the
recipient of congratulations from learned
bodies, has met royalty. and has given
more life and vigor to the desire for fur
Their explorations in Babylonia and Assyria
than was ever before known.
Years Great ResnIts.
The seasons work just finished marked
the expenditure of about 500, 600 by the
University OF Pennsylvania in its Nippur
explorations. begun in 1888. During the
season more than 400 men were under the
direct superintendent Of Prof HiIpFecht
AS a result of the iabors of this season and
its predecessors some OF the excavations
have gone down to a depth of 80 fee-. The
years results were The uncovaring of 3D.
Gee tablets found in the library within
the city's great temple and the uncover
ing Of LOO tombs.
In describing the Babylonia of today and
the Babyionia of 6GG0 years ago. as IN
yelled by the excavations at Nippur. Prof
Hilprecht said:
1T took six weeks for me to come from
Nippur to COnstaRtinople. The journey
has TO be made on horseback with the ex-
ception of a short railroad Iea.ltng out
from Constantinople The country is level
and sandy. The heat is terrific and al
points cur party. consisting Of myself, 8
servant. and a cook. suffered Intensely.
But little vegetation grows. The only per
sons met are occasional tribes of Arabs At
night the wolves hoWIed in every direction
Everybody carries arms By perm isxiUn of
the Turkish Government ] carried ( rife
and during q portion of our Journey that
through the most dangerous part Of the
country, We were accompanied by an arm
ed escort Luckily for Us We were not at
tackled, although At one pcInt We came be-
tween two warning factions of Arabs ard
escaped injury by rare good luck. The
trip homewaTd was made more rapidly than
the outward Journey In PrAt rho
country IS most uninterestinE-
1T is with Nippur that l was chiefly
interested. however. The mound which
up to the time of our excavations, begun
nearly twelve years ago. marked the site
OF the ancient city, and was the largest
mound in all Babylonia To walk around
it requires an hour and a quarter. ard
represents a district almost as large as
that bounded by Market Street. Broad
Street. Girard Avenue and the river in
Philadelphia. This mol.nd rises above the
level plain from 30 20 so feet in most
parts. although that portion marking the
ancient temple of Bel rises to a height
of 205 feet above the desert.
The city, or mound, is diveded into q
east and west portion by a Tayine, former
ly the site of a canal According to au-
thentic records the mound was formed by
one city being built upon top of another
the custom of those times being. when
city was destroyed. not to excavdte for
the new city, but to fill in and build the
new town on top of the old city. That
part of Nippur east Of the canal las the
site of the ancient temple while ION the
wesI side were the plaza. the government
buildings. and the homes of the major
portion of the population. Most of our
labors have been in the vicinity of the
teIapfe-in fact, it would take more than
hundred years to excayate the entire
mound.
What the Scientist Discovered.
''On beginning our work in 1883 the
greatest problem was how to achieve the
best results. From studies at the ruins
of Nineveh became convinced that this
mound was even richer in its treasures
than those found in the royal library lett
by Ashurbanapal at Nineveh. With much
pains we made typographical maps dur
ing me first year, contenting ourselves
with living in tents. AS the years aaSsad
and the work advanced we eXcayated
along regulation lines and improved or
conditions by building a permanent camp
and bitches with low Notifications, and
+; lastly we built a regular fortified house,
after the Arab style OF architecture,
| with sloping walls from sixty - eighty
| feet in height, with small windows re-
sembiing the openings in a fort, far Up
on the side Of the building. Now mis-
] house is surrounded by two gardens
filled with date trees which grew from
| discarded seeds in the first place grow
| ing with such rapidity that they con-
| frmed the old description of Herodotus,
| that the soil of Babylonia is the .ichest
| in the world.
First of all our important discoveries
| in excavating was to unearth the great
| eastern gates of the city which were
! found buried twenty feet beneath the sur
| bIrjJ of hrie fat
| on one side and convex on the other.
| These gates led to street, and our next
| duty was to get an idea of this street.
We found it bordered by four different
| styles of architecture, and it was very
difficult to establish the lines of these
| old buildings, owing to the fact that the
brick of which they were built had not
been pressed, and the earth with which
they were covered had pressed them to-
gether in such a way as to make the lines
almost indiscernibIe.
Next We uncovered the eastern and
western Notifications and established the
true lines of the city. Near the fortif-
cations we found many of the ancient
weapons, spears, balls, and SO forth, that
had been used in besieging the city. There
is no stone in Nippur, but we found the
balls used in warfare had been so cleVeriy
! baked that they must have proved very eff
fective weapons, and, contrary to general
belief most OF them were small.
In turn we had to discover the city's
limits, and first we found the temple. and
IL