Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-16
HYKsos CAMP DISCOVERED.
Important Finds Of British School Of
| Archaeology In Egypt.
From the London Times.

From the London Tipoes.
One Of the dim passages Of history which
have most fascinated theorists has been
that of the conquest of Egypt by the Shep-
herd Kings or Hyksos. To the Egyptians
themselves 1t seemed incredible how a
swarm of barbarians could dominate their
high civilization; 1t was to them what the
subjugation Of the Roman empire by the
northern barbarians was to Jerome. or even
to some modern writers-a hideous anom-
aly-because they could not understand the
laws of decay Of nations To historians the
Hyksos have served for many theories.
from Josephus, who identified them with
the Jews, down to a recent suggestion that
they were both Hittites and EtruYcans. To
obtain some tangible evidences about these
people has been one Of the main problems
OF research in Egypt. When Marietta found
some sphinxes and figures unlike those OF
ordinary Egyptians and bearing names OF
Hyksos Kings. they were greedily accepted
as Hyksos portraits; but the names being
entirely appropriations ought to have
been warning at first that the sculptures
were clearly of earlier age. All that
could be certainly attributed to this mystic
rious people were two or three blocks of
stone and handful Of scarabs. and very
little could be CLEANED Of a historical view
from these.
One purpose Of the British school in work.
Ing at Tel ell Yehuliyeh the past winter
was to search for any more traces in a site
where 1t was well known that HJ ksos scar
abs were commonly found. And here it Is
that Prof. Flinders Petrie mas excavated an
enormous earthwork camp. This camp was
constructed before 1900 b. c. by a nomadic
people, who were entirely ignorant of con-
struction in stone. brick Or even wood,
and who trusted entirely to archery for
their defense. They had no pottery in COM
mon use, and therefore used vessels of
leather and Of wood. AS many graves Of
ha HxlS fho rIio in
side the camp, the latter in a cemetery out
side. and as the whole region has produced
more scarabs of the Hyksos than of al the
other ages of Egypt. 1t is obvious that the
nomads who formed this camp were of this
mysterious race.
The camp is great earthen Enclosure,
Quadrilateral, with rounded corners, much
like many earth camps in other countries.
1t is about 1900 feet across with a bank
about 100 feet thick at the base. This bank
was faced outside with a slope of white
stuccO 10 or 50 feet long at an angle of
thirty-fve to forty-five degrees. But the
makers knew nothing of a gateway; the
use OF brick or wood did not enter into their
scheme OF defense, and their way of enter
ing the camp was to make a sloping road
about 200 feet long rising up over the great
bank OF the camp. Thanking walls were
thrown out on each side of the sioping en-
trance to enable archers to rake the road
sideways at close quarters. We have here
evidently people in the well-known stage
OF culture of Central Asian nomads; great
archers. like the Scythans. Persians. Par
thians or Turcomans. but depending en-
tfrely on earthwork for defense.
After two or three generations in Egypt
the system or lighting was entirely re-
modelled. The advantage Of the walled
forts of the Egyptians was recognized. and
an immense stone wall over forty feet
high. six feet thick and a mile in length
was built around the earthwork and earth
filled in between that and the sloping face
But yet the old sloping entrance road was
kept and gateways in the wall were not
accepted. Every point that we learn agrees
exactly with the account of Manetho, when
he states that the Hyksos were barbarians
who within a hundred years organized a
firm government and built great walled
camp. 1t is probable that this camp now
before us is indeed the celebrated city of
Avaris, but the details of the identifca-
ton cannot be entered on here.
The cemetery Of the Hyksos shows that
they did not use domestic pottery. as they
copied the forms already common in
Egypt But they imported a class of small
unguent vases of black pottery with in
cised patterns, which are probably Of Med
iterranean origin.
This site was only a small part of the
work Of the British school this winter.
which was carried on by Prof. Flinders
Petrie. with Messrs. Duncan. Gilbart-
Smith, Butler-Stoney and Mrs. Petrie. The
history of the mount Of Tell er Retabeh.
between Zagazig and Ismailia. has now
been traced. Objects of the ninth and
twelfth dynastieS were found, showing
how early this region was occupied. The
first fortifying Of the site must have been
under Syrian influence, as a child burial
was found under the corner OF the city
wall instead OF memorial tablets such
the Egyptians used for such purpose
Rameses II built temple here, of which
a scene from one side of the front has
been found, as well parts from great
granite STEELE and of a group of the king
and a god. Rameses III refortifed the
whole city with a wall, and II was again
fortified in later times. 1t was a store
city. as the tomb Of an official records
that he was over the stores brought from
1.-The divine land" probably Syria or else
Arabia. AS this place is within few
miles of Pithom and is the only other
large Egyptian town in the region, 1t can
hardly be other than the sister city OF
Raamses built by the Israelites. The his
tory of 1t as built by Rameses II and Ill
agrees with accounts OF the city or
Raamses.
The large cemetery of the ancient city
of Goshen was also discovered and proved
to extend from about 1900 B. c. down to-
Roman times. A fortified town In the
Delta near Belbeys was examined and
planned it Is certainly as old as the nine
teenth dynasty. and was used for grain
stores It is not unlikely that 1t was one
of the forts built by the Egyptians dur
ing the expulsion Of the Hyksos from Ava
ris. Some other minor sites were also In
cluded in this years work. which has sue
ceeded in clearing up more sites and re-
storing more history than Is OFTEN the
case in a seasons campaign.