The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06
A YEARS DISCOVERIES IN EGYPT
Good work by University Of California Ex.
plorers-They Find an Unknown Town and
Great Many Papyri Manuscript Stun ed
In Crocodiies - In Danger at karuAk.
From The London Times.

. Great Many Papyri- Manuscripts stun ed
In Crocodiies - In Danger at karuAk.
From The London Times.
The Egypt Exploration Fund has achieved
n remarkable success at Abydos. where the
work has been conductedbv Prof. Flinders
Petrt~ and Mr., Mace. For. tho previous four
years Abydos had been given over 70 NJ. Anne.
lineau. who had had the luck denied To his great
predecessor Marlette, 10 light upon the tombs
Of the kings Of the first three dynasles. NJ.
Amelineau'S control over his workmen was
so imperfect that many Of his finest objects
were stol"n and passed through dealers hands
without any record Of the details of their posi-
ton, into various European collections.
In view Of the great importance of the site.
Prof. Pctrle determined to 40 over the ground
again more thoroughly and scientifically and
search tho rubbish heaps Of NJ. Amelineau's
work. The result has brilliantly justified him.
He has discovered a royal tomb-that of Mer-
neil. n previously unknown king. More than
sixty Inscribed pieces Of pottery have enabled
him. "a he believes. TO identify three Of the
royal names Of the Abydos tombs with those
previously known from the Lists.
For the Egy ptian Research Account works
has boen carried on oy Mr.. Garstang among
some tombs near Abydos. He has come upon
several undlsturbed burlals both OF. the twelfth
and eighteenth dy nasty, and some which IL 10
hoped may belong 10 that obscure "lntermedi-
ate period between the two. the length Of
which the Berlin Eg! biologists, on the strength
Of an astronomIcal date IN "A twelfth dynasty
pap rus. propose TO reduce 10 about 800 years.
The lIberality Of the University OF California
has supported two undertaAln gs IN Egypt
during the past season. Al kuit,, Mr.. Refs.
TO lind the long-sought cemetery Of Coptos
seems. to prove that ihu, cemetery lay just OUT.
SIDE the city and that the gradual rise Of the
has buried II beneath the cultivation. Al Cmm
FL Barakat, on the southern edge OF the Fayt1n.
Messrs Grenfell and Hunt. who have trans.
ferred their allegiance TO the aboye-mentloned
American instltullon. have Just completed the
fourth season OF their work Of searching for
nsspyrt IN tgyp,: Here 'nsh have rd discoveries Us%
appears to have been Iebtunis. and whose very
existence was hitherto unknown either to
archeolog,sts or Ia native diegers. To judge
from the remains, the lie o. TINS city extended
from Ptolemslc down to Arabic times. Their
excavations Ia the town welded them many
papyrl, especially from the houses of the priests
IN the temple Enclosure These date from the
first 10 the third century AID. An early Coptic
church with curious frcscoes and inscriptions
on the walls was also brought to light. 10 the
tombs ADJACENT 10 the town the discovery OF
a very large cemetery. the earliest monuments
dating from the twelfth dynasty, is OF especial
Importance Tor determining the position and
height OF Lake Morris, IL proves that. the
estimate q Capt, Lyons which places the level
Of Lake Maris At twenty.threc metres above
Theses remains being the first 10 be dlscoy-
cred on the second Of the three plateaus into
which the Favllm is divided,
In tn" Ptolomdic cemetery the eXcavators
found about sixty numlnies in good preser-
yation. besides others damaged by damp;
by Prof. Petrie at Gurub' Much more remark
able than this was the extraordinary discovery
among several thousand, SPECIMENS OF mum
unified crocud 10, the local deity OF the Fayum.
| OIL some OF the CrNcOtllpA MraUDed no IN napNTlS
sheets and stuffed IN the head and stomach
with papyruS rolls. Among these are many
large and fine fol!s, but. though some have not
vet been examined. II Is feared that they az
not contain important literary remains. All
are OF a late Ptolemalc date. The Greek papyri
az" beng taken 10 England for publication;
the denote rolls remain at the museum u
Messrs. Greniell and Hunt deserve to b
work, the general result OF which IS nearly TO
double the extant quantity Of PtolenIalc papyrl.
among p,,Geil"nS@Hs l,r,ns' mrnt @sce should
bv Mr.. Carter wilson at Thcbes and OF "a very
hne statue IN beeten copper, discovered In
itaSm ne H. az k9m o eI Ahn' nb, mor has man nnw a S Sesr
successfully put together and placed IN the
museum n GhIeh. A word should be added
Of Karnak after the fall Of the nine columns
last year. Two of these columns fell against
the pylon and dangerously unsettled that huge
threatens 10 torrle ever inv ards an knock
down like nine-pins the famous rows Of col
umns Of the hyposlyle hall Every precaution
is being taken nv VI Maspero and his STAFF.
The critical period viii hc during III" Nile food
this year, whose ~ubridcnce may cause a dan
Rerous movement OF the soil. After that an
attempt viii be- made 10 take down the wall o.
the affected angle Of the pylon and rebuild
II tier by tier, bu' unless and until this can be-
done tho European public must bR prepared
to hear of an UNPARALLELED disaster which no
human science or effort nav he able 10 avert.