Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-11-07

legged to have been used by the prehis-
toric American Indians.
But the most prolific hotbed 70" these
spurious archaeologic specimens Is in
Mexico w. II. Holmes, chief of the
bureau OF American ethnOlogy, has in
yestlgated and exposed this fraudulent
commOce. The Mexican countcrfeiters
have so their wares to museums The
world over They work In wood stone
and metal. one, plying his trade ia the
valley OF Mexico. reproduces ancient
Aztec musical instruments In worm
eaten wood and with amazing clever
ness. But Aztec antiquities IN clay
are the most popular, At one time
some Of these counterfelts foun1 their
way to the shelves of the National mu-
scum. The typical specimens are pots,
TO whose surface are added casts taken
from other specimens, antique on other
wise. stamps bearing conventional de-
signs are applied I'm other places, Each
counterfeiter's outfit consists OF plen-
tifu assortment OF odd molds, After
finishing his ware he prepares IL for
market by burylng IT for while In
moist earth or by washing it with a
thin solution Of clay, These finishing
touches give the appearance of an
tiquity. The clay Is atterward wiped
off In places, but II Is left to adhere
to the incised lines.
Statuettes. pipes, whistles, spindle
whorls, calendar disks, etc, all guaran-
tced to be Aztec" are made In this
way The mods are based upon orig
inal pieces recovered from ancient
sites. Such copies are often difficult to
distinguish from originals, San Juan
Teotihuaccan has been the principal
center for the manufacture OF this
ware.
The manufacture OF "Egyptlog" and
"Assyrian" relics is an industry which
thriyes I'm two or three countries OF
Michigan, This enterprise Is out of the
ordinary, Oriental" relies being fabri-
Gated in the old world almost exclusive
ly. In Egypt the trade in fake num-
mics has long thrived, Since the eX-
posure of the mummy factory at Mont
rouge, near Parts. it has been discoy-
cred that these French counterfeits are
shipped to Egypt for sale. Hundreds
OF museums and no end Of private coll
lCctors are said to have been duped
by the Montrouge concern.
THE MAKING OF MuMMlEs.
Human skeletons are actually used
for the framework of the mummes
manufactured there. These bones are
first immersed for time in sulphate OF
ammonia. Then they are fastened to-
gcthor In proper order and wrapped IN
bandages stepped in Il preparation OF
Burgundy pitch and resin Dry spices
and dust are applied to the exterior
surface. The finished product is then
shipped to Egypt to be placed near
some excavated place or given some re-
markable history. Later II is placed In
sarcophagus covered with sphynxeh,
phalanxes, charots with their high
stopping steeds and other figures repro
duced in plenty from various specimens
of Egyptian art. Some gullible savant
is indirectly informed that an Egyptian
mummy lately eXhumed from the Nile
valley may be had at reasonable
price. He grabs at the chance, Of
course. What could be dearer to the
heart Of an antiquarian, amateur or
professional, than hideous, grinning,
incense breathing Egyptian mummy In
crumbling sarcophagus? And so the
game Is worked the world over.-Kan-
sas City STAR