The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-05
STATUETTE OF CHEOPS FOUND
PROF. PETRIE REPORTS on THE
EXCAVATIONS AT ABIDOS.
Ten Successive Temples Revealed In Depth
OF Twenty Feet Discovery Of Vase
On tho Royal TOMbs PMts P0lychrOme
Glazing ia ok Thousands Of Years.
Special Caoit Despatch 10 THE sun

Glazing Ba ok Thousands Of Years.
Special Cabis Despatch 10 THE SUN.
LONDON, July 4.--Pmf. Flinders Petrie
has given some account Of the past seasons
excavations at Abycos. In the clearing OF
the old temple site over several acres there
were revealed, in depth Of about twenty
feet, ten successive temples. ranging in
age from about 500 to about 5000 b. c.,
thus enabling the changes from age to age
through the whole Egyptian history to he
seen.
w At one spot the separation of these build
ings was an affair of anatomy rather than
spadework. The mud and brick walls
were 80 commingled with the soil that
incessant section cutting with sharp
knife was the only way to discriminate
the brickwork Often only single course
Of bricks or thin bed foundation Of sand
was all that told of great buildings which
had existed for centuries.
The main result as regards religion is the
discovery that Osiris was not the original
god of Abydos. Jackai god of Vpuaut,
and then Khentamenti, god o the west. were
honored here till the TIVE fifth dynasty. The
most striking change is seen about the fourth
dynasty, when the temple was abolished
and only great hearth Of burnt offering
In found, full of votive clay substitutes for
sacrifices This exactly agrees with the
account OF Herodotus that Cheops had
closed the temples and forbidden sac
riS1ces.
This materializing Of history is made
more real by the finding of an ivory statu~ tie
of Cheops of the finest work, showing for
che first time the face and character of the
great builder who made Egyptian govern
ment and civilization what they were for
thousands of years after.
The discoveries of civilizat ion of the first
dynasty at the beginning OF the kingdom
throw more light on what ia already known
from Prof Perie's works In the royal
tombs at Abydos of Menes, the founder,
there is part of a large globuar vase of
green glaze, with Menes's name inlaid in
purple. Thus polychrome glazing is taken
back thousands Of years before it was pre-
viously known to exist. There are also
several pieces of this age in the highest
art of delicate ivory carving, especially
the figure of an aged king, which, for sab
tlety of character, stands in the first rank
Of such work, and is compatible to the
finest work of Greece and Italy. The
earliest monarchy must now be reckoned
as equal to that of any later age. Such
technical fine art and pottery of forms
and material quite unknown in Egypt
also belongs to this remoe age 1t proves
to be identical with that in Crete of the late
Neolothic age.
This fresh connection illustrates the
trade chronology of the period. A camels
head modelled in pottery takes back it's
relation to Egypt some four thousand
years. Hitherto no trace of the camel
appeared before Greek times. The ivory
carving of bear also extends the fauna
Of early Egypt. great fort long KIN own
ss Shunet Ez Zebib is now connected with
the remains of another fort discovered
between Shmet and the Coptic DER, which
ip in the third fort. These buildings prove
to have been the fortified residences of
the kings of the second dynasty, whose
sealings were found in the dwelling rooms
Of later age. There are some DEGREES
of the fifth and sixth dynasties, and also
the oldest example Of iron yet known,
yvhic 10 ~ tho airth rlv-Daaty