Evening star., 1901-03-30
tveRr TAelET
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did not believe that the ground had been
exhausted, and his work on the same site
has established the value Of this precon-
SeptiOn- Amelineau did find the tombs,
But he worked in so unscientifc a way
chat although he astOnished the learned
world he did not add as much positive
knowledge regarding the ancient kings
whose tombs were found as has since been
brought to light by the careful work of
the greatest archaeologist now living.
The work which Mr.. etrie did at Aby-
dos has been limited at in the public prints
from time to time since it's announcement
but the first authoritative account of this
work from him Is just appearing in Eng
land; Not only does 1t fill in the Spaces
In the history of Egypt with the names
or authentic kings, but it tells the twenti-
eth century how mankind lived 100 CEN
tur1es ago. Fortunately 1t was the custom
OF the ancient Egyptians to reproduce the
NE or the people in their tombs, burying
with their kings many of the jewels and
utensils by which they We're surrounded in
life.
n Very Ancient Tomb.
One of the most interesting and fmpor-
tant Of the tombs identified by Mr. Petrie
Is the tomb of Menes, the first king of
united Egypt, who is now by this discov-
cry reclaimed from the limbo of myths to
which modern historians had consigned
him. The date of his reign is not deter
minable, for Psychologists differ widely in
the chronology of the kings but 1t is GER
tam that he lived not later than 5000 b. c.
ana perhaps as early as 600O b c.
At this remote period one might supnosn
that clVlilzation was In it's infancy but
the hndS in this and other tombs give owl
uehceS OF an art that must have taken
many centuries for its development up to
that point Menes' tomb and those of his
successors, constituting the eight kings of
the first dynasty and two of the second
Iet IN mood OF light upon the life of that
very ancient day.
Of course, the hieroslyphs of that period
are very primitive, and may be read vart-
ously' put 1t viii be generally taken for
granted that Mr.. Petrie is right in iden-
tifying Menes. Athothis Kenkenes. I-ene-
les, Usafais, Miebis, Semenpses and Bien-
ekhes OF the list given by Manetho the
ancient Egyptian historian with the nor
sons buried at Abydos, the great royaI
cemetery. Manetho says of the place that
the site selected for the royal tombs was
on a low spur from the hills, slightly
raised above the plain. with a deem ravina
on the west OF it, so that it could never he
Hooded This accounts for the perfect
Observation of the tombs with their price
k4sS contents.
Royal Burial Places.
Each royal tomb is large square Dit.
lined with brickwork. Close around II ON
its own level or higher, are small cham
bers in rows, in which were buried tho
domestics of the kings. The tombs as they
Were left by the kings seem to have bean
slightly hcaped up The roofs of the great
tombs We're discovered about six or eight
feet below the surface. The massive beams
easily supported the weight of the drifted
sand On the fiat or almost fiat ground
OF the cemetery the graves were marked
by stone steles set upright in the open
air Each royal grave seems to have had
two great steles. Two of Merneit were
found by Petrie. Amelineau found one
steie in the tomb of Ga and Petrie found
second
The royal cemetery seems to have grad
pally fallen into decay; the steles were
blown over and the whole site was neg
lected in the later ages. 1t was not until
the glories of the XVIIIth dynasty (about
400 b. c. that interest was revived i'm this
cemetery connected by tradition with the
early kings. Offerings of pottery were
made at the tombs until now the place is
piled high with thousands OF fragments and
Is called by the natives ON el Ghabu.
Mother of Pots.
Priceless Relics
The articles found by Mr. Petrie are In
onite in number and variety. Between TO-
900 and 10000 pieces of vases were found,
ranging in date from the earliest to the
latest times. Some two hundred of these
vases have been restored. Many of the
vases and crystal cups bore Inscriptions
which made 1t possible to trace them to
some OF the royal owners.
ivory was found in considerable uuan-
tfty, either in tablets or In small pieces
used Tor iniaying, showing that this deli
Sste ART was practieed then. The ivory