Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-03

had been set by it's mighty builders to
defy eternity itself.
/ And the German professors dug out
a song, too. 1t was deemed to be i'm
mortal when written. So grand did it
seem 2400 years ago that a singer in
Egypt had it put into his tomb with
him. 1t is a great roll of papyrus-a
poem by Timotheos clarifying the vic
torious fight of Marathon and almost
certainly the very Oldest Greek book
ever found. The poem that made such
| a vast stir once has lain under the
Egyptian sands for more than 1000
years, and songs of Marathon have
piled on songs and been forgotten as
the dead piled on the dead over the
tomb of the Egyptian singer.
Profs. Borchardt. Voelz and Decker
conducted the work of excavation.
Their first discovery was the forecourt
of the Temple of the Dead. 1t had
been left unfinished, and most of the
beautiful columns that had been COM
pleted had fallen. But two magnificent
pillars were left. In that court yard
was found the partly broken figure of
lion, grandly proportional and ar be-
" JIM iiiC sig. 4to ID SO llIlc
that the scientists agree that it was
the work of a sculptor of extraordinary
talent. The head was perfectly pre-
served.
The next discovery was that of re-
liefs depicting some of the most ia
nous Egyptians of that time, whose
names and deeds are mentioned in
many inscriptions found in various
PARTS of Egypt. There are also de-
pictions of sacrifice. One wall paint
ing shows the slaughtering of ami
mails before the tombs of the great
dead. Another portrays tall, beautiful
peasant women who bear offerings.
The great temple relief Of all was
found between the hall of columns and
the holy of holies. 1t shows the king
himself with apron and lions tail as
insignia of his high rank. He wears
headdress of feathers and horns, the
mark of god. The jackal- headed god
Anubis steps toward him, bringing him
the sign of life.
In smaller relief -woser-re is
pictured with raised club Staying a
group of men whom he holds by their
hair.
In digging out the chambers of stables
the explorers unexpectedly came upon a
splendid painting. 1t was intended 10
show door set into the solid wall The
colors, laid on by hands and brushes Of
which there has been no vestige left OF
earth for 1900 years We're bright and
glowing, shining out of their long-kept
darkness into the light of today as if
they were still wet. But scarcely had the
sun streamed in before they began to
pale. Fortunately, the expedition num-
bered q skillful painter among its mem
bers, and he succeeded in making a true
copy in full size of the ancient work CT
art
Then the !diggers reached the, tomb 81
breaking out the first stone the Euro
peans reered in and for the first time IN
upon the collins of the priests of Ne
woser-re. The tomb had been too small
for the last collins and the handles had
been sawed from the ends before the
stones were set in place and sealed.
Those cuts. of the saw were clear and
sharp, just as they had been left on that
day of burial
Here great finds were made Large
ships OF the dead were on the collins,
that they might be used for the voyage
into tee under world. There were the
great stone jugs that had contained wa
ter to refresh the shades on their jour
ney. The last gift of friends and
carved wooden statuettes of the domestics
and slaves were scattered through the
tomb.
Now came the question as to whether
or not the mummies in the stone collins
would be found in any sort of preserva-
ton. If they were they would be the
first mummies of that period that had
ever been found in condition to bear re-
moval to Europe. The whole party gath
cred around eagerly while the wooden
nails were drawn carefully from the
coffin of the high priest and he was found
in it just as he had been put to resi-
when Egypt was young.
Jefi-em-JachWet was wrapped in long
brown linen shroud. A coored mask of
linen and gypsum lay on his face. The
mask mad narrow side beard and long
chin beard and the eye had been made
larger by streaks of vermilion. A big
wig, parted in the middle, was colored
bright blue to initiate lupis-lazuli show
ing that the dead man had already De-
come a god. for the ancient Egyptian
gods had hair of lapis-lazuli.