The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1904-12-30
ANCIENT RUINS UNCOVERED
BY Army Of ArcilaeClogists
in Asia and Egypt.
Greatness of The Queen OF
Sheba was no
Myth.

by an army OF archaeologists who are
working In Asia Minor and Egypt,
says a New York Special ITO the St.
Louis Republic. The great empires
OF the Mediterranean are being recon-
structed by Swans such as Messrs.
Hogarth and Evans with the most
satisfactory results; and now R. n.
Hall, following in the footsteps OF
Theodore Bent, is bringing to light
proofs OF the Empire OF Sheba, In
South Arabia, which had colonies and
outposts extending into Rhodesia.
The greatness of the famous queen OF
Sheba, who visited Solomon, Is now
shown to be no myth, aud Mr.. Hall
was able to demonstrate to the men,
bers of the Royal United Service In
stitute In London recently that the
older portions of the Zmbabwe ruins
in Rhodesia repre- sents the monument
Of a colony OF this ancient world
power.
II was Sheba that provided the
world with the Phoenician alphabet,
the parent OF al Of our European
systems, and provided the chief sup
ply of gold to the Mediterranean.
Sheba was tie dominant power over
East Africa, and so remained until
the Christian era was we'll started.
In IS A. D. King khsrabil was in
possession of the whole of this terri.
tory. The seat OF government was
In Southern Arabia, and the extern
sive Rhodesian gold workings out in
Rider Hagg ari's novel King Solo.
mons Mines" represent the activity
.! colony sent south to win gold.
Mr.. Bent, who discovered In 1901
the phallic character OF these ancient
temples at Great Zimbabwe, saw these
ruins while they were still buried,
but Mr.. Hall is more fortunate. for
dining the eight years which he has
given to unraveling the my stery of
Rhodesian gold workings large por-
tions OF the temples have been cleared
OF the debris which concealed the
original walls.
These ruins were known to the
early Portuguese II 1910, the Arab
gold, ivory and slave traders first
mentioning them, says writer in the
illustrated London News. After that
period the ruins were lost sight of un-
til 1868, when Adam Renders. an
elephant hunter, rediscovered them,
and later information came to be circu-
lated In England; but the descriptions
given were meager, owing to the fact
that the ancient city had, In the
course of centuries, become buried in
The soil.
N 1891 Mr.. Bent visited Zimbabwe
and later published work on THE
Ruined Cities, OF Mashonaland." Mr.
Hall, after his work at Il mbabwe,
has caused better description to be
prepared, and while confirming Mr..
Bent's maih conclusions in several
receipts he carried the discussion as
% the origin of the structures consid-
srably further.
The ruins are composed Of three
groups OF temples and forts-the FL.
optical Temple, the Valley of Ruins
and the Acropolis ruins. The area
covered Is almost two miles and
halt IN another direction, and exami-
nations show that probably they ex.
ended much further.
The Ehpticsl temple Is massive
structure OF excellent masonry, fash
toned of small granite blocks. The
oldest portion has walls fifteen feet
vide at the base and eight feet wide
on the summit, the walls, notwith.
sanding serious dilapidatons, being
,., twenty-six feet to thirty-one feet
u height. The slope OF the faces
ends to the building a decidedly east.
-rn appearance. The entrances are
lasrow and are defended by buttress.
% The temple contains large
under c! passages, a! narrow ard
t1fsucus The interor is divided of
1.o Enclosures OF courts. At the
esst end Of the interior stand mas.
s..- conicsl tower, thirty-one feet in
eient and sold throughout. This
.trucwre efords evidence Of the ma
lu-a ard fertility worship of the a.
.t.-t n-il9.Ys