The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-18

cadavers. wrapper in linen, preserved
from decay with spices and aromatic
drugs, and inclosed in deliberately carved
wooden coffns which. in turn, were laid
In sarcophagi of stone.
Much guessing has been INDUCED in as
to the meaning and purpose of this won
derful maze of Crocodilopolis, which in
the present connection Is interesting
chiefly by reason of dts supposed relation
Of the Labyrinth Of Minos. but the best
accepted belief of psychologists today 10
that the entire structure was essentially
symbolical According to this theory. the
twelve palaces stood for the twelve signs
OF the Zodiac. while the location of the
3.ooo rooms. half below and half above the
ground. referred to the course OF the sun.
with its alienation between night and
day. The 1900 chambers are probably the
5000 years during which the soul was be-
lieved to absent itself from the body to
which st belonged.
IL was this expectation OF an eventful
return by the wandering soul to the wait
Ing body that caused the ancient Egyp-
tion monarchs to devote so much effort
and such great sums of money to secur-
ing the preservation of their physical re-
mains. 1t cost thousands of dollars to
prepare mummy in first-class style,
guaranteed knperishable, while king did
not hesitate to appropriate millions to the
erection of a pyramid or other structure
designed TO keep his body intact and
sacred for all time. Unhappily, as epoch
succeeds epoch, things erstwhiie held holy
lose their sacredness. and thus today the
greatest Of ancient Egyptian monarchs
and princesses are exposed to the inglori-
GUS gaze OF a .rlbald public In the museums
OF Europe and America. As for the Lady,
rinth of Crocodilopolis. II has vanished.
and Its architectural remains are believed
A. L. - a.
debris al ArsInoe. Probably the Arabs
destroyed the structure, In the notion
that its subterranean rooms contained ne
gotiable treasure OF some sort.
There is no doubt that commerce and
Intercourse were active between Egypt
and the capital OF King Minos. This fact
Is prove by the prevalence OF certain
typically Egyptian figures. and designs,
such as sphinxes. in the halls Of the Gre
tan monarch. Much pottery OF great
beauty was found In the house of the
Labrys. the designs painted on II being
for the most part not mere conventional
patterns. but distinctiveiy nattlraiistic
and representing such forms as lilies and
tulips. in shapes as graceful as any
shown in the Greek art OF later ages
II s. notable fact that pots OF very
similar designs have been discovered in
Egypt, associated with remains apper-
The documents. OF which such great
numbers we're found. were In the shape
of clay tabiets--the only substitute for
paper known in those DAYS. As already
stated, the inser ptions on them were writ
ter with a stylus. while the clay was
soft. and afterward Il was baked. thus
making the records imperishabls. except
by breakAge. IT Is asserted that these
tablets carry hack the existence OF writ
ten documents on Greek soil no less than
eight centuries beyond tho earliest Creek
writings hitherto known. They even Lead
the archaeologist 70 withdraw the creal.
for the invention Of the alphabet from
Cadmus and to attribute II 10 M4nos.
A shaft sunk exptrimentaliy In the cen
trail court Of the palace az Minos az
Knossos 60 depth OF twcnfy-four feet
disclosed layer on layer Of stone age rel
les. Including chalk -inlaid pottery. stone
axes and mace heads. knives OF volcanic
glass and images AZ burnt clay and mar.
bic resembling those obtained from the
strata found by Schliemann below the
ancient city Of Troy and representing me
earliest settlement % that historic town.
OF course. the story OF the Minotaur
Derives no authenticity from tho dsscov-
cry OF the labyrinth with which that IN
hled monster is associated in tradition
The tale Is 60 the effect that Pasiphae. tho
wife ~ Miuos. gave birth 70 an offspring
half human and half bull. Mines, natural
" disnayea, consulted an oracle on the
subject. and, In obedience TO its COM
m<nd, Instructed an Ingenious architect
named peadaius 20 build the maze in
which he placed the Ninotaur feeding the
creature on human flesh. Later on he re-
aulred from Athens a regular annual
tribute OF youths and rnsidens TO satisfy
the appetite OF the brutA