The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-06

arts and crafts show n constant decay,
and there was but little left to resist the
influence of Greek taste and design. which
ran a debased course in the country.
There was. however. spread of manu-
features and of cheap Injuries into lower
and lower classes; and the wealth OF the
country accumulated under the beneficent
rule OF the earlier Ptolemies 100000
B. c..
The principal discoveries about these
later ages have been in the papyri. which
have been largely found during the last
twenty years. The details of the govern
ment and life of the country in the PtCle-
maic (305-30 B. c. and Roman go B. c.
Gao A. d. periods have been cleared up;
and many prizes of classical literature
have also been recovered. The archae-
ology of the Middle Ages in Egypt has
also been studied. Many of the Arabic
buildings have been recently cleaned and
put in good condition; and the splendid
collection of manuscripts in Cairo has
opened a view of the beautiful art of the
thirteenth fifteenth centuries so closely
akin to what was done in Europe at the
same time.
Egypt is, then, before all other lands the
country of archaeology. continuous
history of 1000 years, with abundant re-
mains of every period to illustrate 1t, aid
a rich prehistoric age before that, give
completeness to the study and the fullest
value to archaeological research.
MEsoPOTAAuA
The valley of the Euphrates might we'll
rival that of the Nile if it were scieutiii-
cally explored, but unhappily all the exca-
walton has been done solely with view
to inscription and sculpture, and no proper
record has been made, nor have any towns
been examined, the only work being in
palaces and temples.
The earliest study on the ground was by
Rich GS1S-2O). who gathered some few
sculptures and formed an idea OF Assyrian
art. The French Consul Botta excavated
Khorsabad (founded 700 B. c. in 1875,
and I.ayard excayated Nimrud in 1857;
these were both Assyrian sites. The older
Babylonian civilization was touched at
Erech by LOTUS in 1882, and this age
has attracted the most important excava-
tions made since. at Tello by Sarzec 1S76-
81. and at Nippur by Peters and Haynes
OF Philadelphia during the last few years.
The cuneiform characters were absolute
ly unexplained until Grotefend in 1900 re-
solved several of them by taking inscrip-
names of Persian kings and comparing
them alongside of the known names, thus
without a single fixed point to start
from-he tried a series Of hypothesis until
he found one which fitted the facts. Bour-
noGf lin 1856 and Lassen QS36-44. recti-
fled and completed the alphabet But the
cuueiform signs were used to write many
diverse languages. as the Roman alphabet
is used at present: and the short Persian
alphabet was only fraction OF the great
syllabrary of 600 signs used for Assyrian.
Rawlinson had independently made out the
Persian alphabet, using the Zend and San
skirt for the language. He next, from the
trliiRgual Behistun inscription in Persian,
Assyrian, and Vannic, resolved the long
A5syrian syllabrary. using Hebrew for the
language. Since then other more obscure
languages written in cuneiform have Teen
worked with more or less success; the
most important is the Turanian language.
used by the earlier inhabitants of Baby
lonia before the Semitic invasion; this is
recorded by many syllabraries and diction-
aries, and translations compiled by the
literary Semitic kings.
The general view OF the civilization
which has been obtained by these labors
OF the century shows 1t to have been more
important to the world than any other.
Cuneiform was the literary script Of the
world for at least 5000 years. the only
medium OF writing from the Mediterra-
mean to the Indian Ocean. The Babylo1ian
culture was almost certainly the source
of the Oldest present civilization-that of
China. And the arts were developed prob
ably even earlier than il. Egypt The
first inhabitants were called Sumirian Tor
river folk in distinction from the Acca-
dian Tor highland) people who came from
Elan down into the Euphrates Valley,
bringing with them the use OF writing.
Their earliest writing was of figure sym
bOls QIke the Egyptian and Hittite); but
as in the valley clay tablets were the
only material for writing, the figures be-
came gradually transformed into groups
Of straight lines and spots, impressed on
the clay; hence the signs were formalized
into what we call cuneiform. The Semitic
invaders were using cuneiform character
by about 5000 B. C.
The early civilization was intensely re-
ligious. the main buildings being the tenn
pies. which were placed on enormous piles
of brickwork. The sculpture was at q
high level in the time of Naram-Sinn
about $3.50 B. c.; and yet below his ruins
at Nippur there are no less than thirty
FIVE feet depth OF earlier ruins, which
must extend back to 5000 or 1000 b. c. In
early times stone implements were used
alongside Of copper and bronze, as we
find in Egypt 1000 3. C. Pottery was well
made. and also reliefs in terra Gotta.
Personal ornaments OF engraved gems and
gold work were common.
The main landmarks In the later time OF
this civilization are the Elamite invasion
OF Kudur-nau-khu (22SO B. CO which
upset the Semitic rulers: and the AS
syrian invasion OF TiglathAdar Q270 B.
c.. after which interest centres in the
Assyrian Kingdom and its development
Of the Mesopotamian culture which 1t
borrowed. The main buildings OF the
AssyrIan kings were their enormous
palaces, the mass of which was OF IN
baked bricks, faced with alabaster slabs.
Such were the works OF Assur- nazir-
pal (Nimrud. $50 B. c.. sargon (Khorsa-
bad. TO b. c. Sennacherib and Assur-
banl-pal Oiouyunjik. TOO B. c. The later
Assyrian form of the civilization was to
the earlier Chaldean much what Rome
was to Greece. rather clumsy borrower
who laboriousiy preserved the literature
and art. Some OF the Assyrian sculpture OF
animals is. however. perhaps unsurpassed
for vivid action. The systematic libraries,
containing copies OF all the older llteTa-
ture for general study. were most credi a
Bile though the Assyrian himself composed
nothing better than chronicles. Nearly
all that we possess OF Babylonian religion
and much OF the history Is in the copies
scrupulously made from the ancient tab
lots by the Assyrian scribes. who noted
very defect in the original with critical
Ifality.
The Mesopotamian civilizations has left
rs mark on the modern world. Its relis-
ion greatly Influenced Hebrew. and thence
Christian, thought. the Psalms. for in
stance. being a Babylonian form OF piety.
It's science fixed the signs Of the Zodiac.
the months Of the year the days OF the
week. and the division OF the circles In
degrees. all OF which are now universal.
And its art. carried by the Phoeniclans.
,,-rz conlaF hy The CrraI.e and FtrusCaus,