Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-07
PREHISTORIC CRETE.

\ London cable says. 1t may seem
in"ungruous to cable news OF human
affairs many thousand years old, but
the present salutdry calm gives added
interest to the remarkable additions
lust made to the knowledge of pre-
historic periods. crete. especially now
that il has been rescued from the bar
barian custody of the Turks. is proving
a wonderful suorchouse of the records
of Il race far antcdating what the
archaeologists expected. 1t is even
transpiring that the islands traditional
claim to embrace u hundred cities is not
without foundation. Professor David
George Hogarth of oxford. the noted
explorer, writing to the Times to-
day. describes the remains of ancient
cities which are coming to light at
many more points of the Crctan coast
than are recorded in the classical at
lases. He says he now suspects a
Mycenaean site in every one of the
larger plains. These towns, so far as
searched. show little or no sign of hav-
ing continued into the historic period.
Their civilization was blottcd out with
the Mycenaean domination. 1t is i'm
possible to chronicle the great recent
! dis overies briefly. but it is interesting
| to call attention to the spot which Pro-
/ fessor Hogarth describes as the site
| best worth visiting in Crete. which was
located and uncovered by the per-
, severance of an American woman. Miss
| Harriet Boyd. This was the remains
of the ancient Mycenaean town of
| Gorynia. 1t lies on the Gulf of Mirabello
| at the head of the lowest pass to the
| south coast 1t has not been observed
| up to the present time, although 1T us
| close to the main road from Gambia Ito
| Sitria. This was discovered by Miss
Boyd, who had been directing the ed
| Cavations. Her workmen- have now
! laid bare two narrow. tOrtuOus streets
which are paved on either end and are
preserved to a considerable extent. The
houses are built of stone, with parti-
walIAof brick. This style of structure
was often suspected on the Aegean
Gulf, Nut the sites were never found
before.\ Two streets converge toward
a large building of fine masonry on
the highest point of knoll. which ~
easy 10 recognize as the house of the
| local Governor. The contents of the
buildings are interesting as well as the
structure. Almost everything in the
shape bf precious metal has vanished,
| but ev3rything in bronze seems to have
| remained in the shape of weapons. tools
and vesRels. Among the many clay
| vases ard some which were previous n
| inferred 6rom the fragments that has
| been recovered Among the chamber
is one witch, from the objects and SYM
bols fourld, it is safe to assume hab
been a Small shrine. d
More al archaeological lore comes frole
much far ther east through pr Stein OF
the British Indian education depart
ment. whA has just returned to Lon
don after 4 years exploration in the
deeply interesting section of Central
Asia. He spent months i'm the littlf
known Khotan Desert and succeeded
in cxcavating a large series of Budd
hist temples and monastic buildings u
miles to the north of khotan city Tic
| found a lot of ancient manuscripts In
s;anskrit. Chinese and an unknown IAN
guage. The latter are well-known In
dian characters. He also found Budd-
hist pictures and numerous staccf
sculptures which were undoubtedly OF
Indian style. From this point DR.. Stcir
pushed to the ancient site of the deSer'
5 beyond Keriya. where he made a rict
. strike of ruined dwellings. half buried
, in the sand, and an abundant supply
Of Biographical and other relics likely
: to prove of great Importance to stu
: dents of Indian antiquity and earl!
, Central Asiatic history. He obtained
. 500 documents written on wooden tab
. lets in Kharosthi scrip peculiar to the