The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-12
IN TIE ANCIENT
 CITY OF BABYLON Palaces of Biblical Times Have
 Been Discovered FEAST OF BELSHAZZAR Excavations on Site of Nebuchadnez- zars Palaee-Valuable Collection of Pottery From Abydos.
 Old Gaming Table.
FEAST OF BELSHAZZAR

Further details are HOW in hand ot the sTlking discoveries made upon the site or the palace fortress of ancient Baby- Ion by the German excavators under the direction of Dr. Holloway. Beneath the great mound known to the modern Arab population as Fl Kasr or the castle" which rises above the plain of the Eu- pirates has been found the palace of Neouchaanezzar.
 The London Times in describing the dis covsries. says:
 " ears of labor will still be required to trace the ground plan of all the palace buildings adjacent to and protecting the royal dwelling, built by Nebuchadnezzar above the less splendid edifice of his fa- ther, Nohopolassar. But the great irreg- rlar inclosure which has already been laid bare contains specimens of archi- lecture which amply illustrate the mag nitude Of the kings work. One of the outer walls. for example, is more than 24 yards thick. Besides the palace buildings, with the great oblong hall. with it's al cove at one end to contain a throne. which is supposed to have been the scene of Belshazzar's feast. a conspicuous fea- ture of the excavations Is the se-called sacred way which leads along the east Side Of the palace to the temple of the goddess Ishtar. crossed by the great gate which was heightened by Nebuchadnez- gar four or five times over, as he repeat edly raised the road in his successive un- dertakings
 This great city of brick has peculiar features of interest and also of difficulty for the explorer as compared with mon- uments of stone. The desiccated soil of Mesopotamia has wrought little damage to the buried structure, although the gradual rising of the bed of the Eu- pirates by alluyial deposits has sub merged and perhaps seriously injured the lower layers of debris, some of which date from a period more than 1000 years earlier than that of the brief but splendid second Babylonan empire, which reached its highest point under Nebuchadnezzar.
 First Babylonian Empire.
 Magnificent as are the relics already discovered of the second Babylonian em- pire, they represent but some of the later stages in the long story of human civ ilization upon this site. Though Nebu- chadnezzar's Babylon lies buried many feet beneath the ruins of subsequent do- minions, 1t rests upon a succession of earlier strata. which go back not i'm probably to a date yet more remote from Nebuchadnezzar than his is from our own. The difficulty of exploring these earlier layers is naturally much greater in proportion to the depth at which they lie But in one of the most ancient parts of the city Dr. Holloway and his col leagues are now engaged in investigating the relics of the first Babylonian em- pire, which was long antecedent both to Nebuchadnezzar and to his Assyrian pre- decessors.'
 The results of the work of the Egyptian exploration fund during the past season at Abydos and Fl Mahasna are now on view in London at Kings College, and comprises a most interesting and valu- able collection of pottery and ornaments from the predynastic to the 18th dynasty periods. The main camp of the exploring
 cit tad at hud he h1Tt UVh engaged on excavations at this spot they received through native sources informa- ton that a predynastic cemetery was being plundered at El Mahasna, a place eight miles north of Abydos. After get ting the necessary permission from the Egyptian government they moved camp and dug there for month, securing number of very fine objects
 In a large grave which contained two skeletons was found a unique bowl shaped vase with conventional decorations and having on the rim four beautiful modelled hippopotami. The animals are in won derful state of preservation, despite the fact that the vase was made nearly 7Oo years ago. There were also several pot tery vases and a group of worries, the most important being a carved figure of a man.
 Clay Gaming Table.
 Tn another cave was found clay gam ing table, divided into eighteen squares, and provided with twelve cone-shaped mud "men." Apparently it was used for a rudimentary form of draughts, thus taking the game back to somewhere about 5000 B. c. Another valuable find was an ebony cylinder seal of the first dynasty, which was probably used by King Fer for sealing his wine vessels. An example of this jar-sealing is shown. The method employed was to mold lump of wet clay over the mouth Of the far and run the cylinder round 1t. leay- ing the seal impressed.
 A number of examples of black-topped predynastic pottery is shown, several of them being marked with the lion. These are regarded as being exceptionally in- teresting, and it is suggested that the lion was tribal mark. The skull of a long horned OK, found at the bottom of sixth dynasty grave shaft, Is remarkable by reason of the fact that the teeth are worn as if by bit. The horse was un- known at this period, and no other exam pie has been discovered of the use of the bit instead of the general method of yoking.
 In the eighteenth dynasty tomb was found an oil cruse of terra cotta pottery. which is full of oil. although 1t has lain buried for over 5000 years.
 Other discoveries were some toilet req uisites used by the Egyptian belle of 5000 B. c. They include a long palette
 l,zI 4I.A