Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-11
DUG UP IN EGYPT
Excavation of Interesting
Antiquities.
EXPLORATIONS AT ABYD0S
Clearing Out Royal Tombs of the
Earliest Dynasties.
ENCROACHNG OF WATERS
Noble Monuments Will Be Over
thrown and Fields of Re-
search Submerged.


land and the United States has forward
ed to It's headquarters In fremont Tenn
pie. Boston. valuable consignment of
antiquities to be divided among museums
contributing to the society's excavations
In Egypt. These objects were displayed
In Kings College, London. during the
exhibition recently closed, and represent
the result OF last winters work con-
Quoted at Abydos, Ehnasiya and Sid
mant.
Abydos has proved an especially valua-
Die site for exploration. Here Osiris and
Isis had their chief affairs, to which Of
ferings were brought from the farthest
Dorders Of Egypt during the period of
ever frightening centuries from the
eighteenth to the thirtieth dynasties At
the same time, Abydos Is a huge Gene
terry. where the Egyptians liked to be
buried from the earliest times down to
the days OF the Roman emperors. The
preoynastic era, the first, sixth and
twelfth dynasties, the new empire and
here.
The main work, which was carried out
under the general direction Of Prof Z.
finally the royal tombs of the first and
second dynasties: but much still re-
mains to be done at this site. and good
results are expected from the continu-
alton OF the work next season. A great
deal has been accomplished In the north
and south cemeteries at Abydos. In the
south cemetery the earliest graves found
were those Of the predynastic period.
They had been afterward disturbed by
the sinking OF shaft graves Of the sixth
CONFUSION was also introduced by the
building above these OF vaulted tonsbs of
brick, probably in the thirtieth dynasty.
Interesting Excavations.
From these excavations are slate
palettes, jars and vases, ornaments of
glaze. wood. stone, carnelian, amethyst
and flint, flint razors. ivory carvings,
beads and pottery. The last may be
arranged In general chronological order,
according to its shape and Perfection,
for 1t ranges from the rudest kind of
unglazed ware to bowls Of rock crystal,
which bear traces Of having been en-
graved with delicate tools.
The pottery of the predynastic
Egyptians was made without the help
OF the potter's wheel, of which they had
no knowledge, and the materials en-
ployed by them were Nile mud and
clay. The sequence in predynastic pot
terly illustrating the development Of the
art is very complete in the specimens
received for universities and museums.
A full line Of this pottery will have a
place In the commercial history exhibit
now in preparation In Philadelphia. 1t
Is extraordinarily interesting to follow
the evolution OF this ancient industry
from the first rude. heavy unglazed type
through the black-topped variety to the
smooth red glazed ware.
ceived were those OF cylindrical shape.
covered with a coat Of whitish unbaked
paint; they have waved ledge handles at
the sides. and were originally filled with
scented fat, an ungent offered at the
graves. From Abydos, Ehnasiya and FL
Mahasna alike come many miniature pots
and vessels for pomades. ointments and
salves made with honey; some. however,
from their shape, were plainly used I'm
supplying the provisions for the tomb. as
being less costly than full-sized vessels,
while their great number would make a
generous Enumeration. The more elegant
OF these small jars. both in the usual clay
and in diorite, were made for suspension
by means Of a pierced handle worked on
both sides in one piece with the vase.
The almost innumerable ivory and wood
carvings are not only evidence of the
artistic capacity Of the early Egyptians.
but indicate that the Egyptians had COM
mercial relations with distant places. The
figures of animals and human beings pro-
duced by these expert wood-carvers are
as exact and realistic as art could make
them.
Abydos Not Exhausted.
These rare objects are ample proof that
Abydos Is by no means exhausted. To-
ward the end of the season. in widening
the cemetery at the tomb Of Ter, second
king Of the LIST dynasty. a number of
finely made figures in mud were found.
These figures represent Osiris as a num-
my. They lay in q bed Of hard sand not
far from the tomb Of Ter, which we know
was in later times worshiped as the
tomb Of Osiris
In this tomb was found the famous
bed Of Osiris, now in Cairo. The figures
all lay face upward. with head to the
west; two Of them had blue glazed
beads around the neck. Considerable
light is thrown upon this curious md
by the following reference to this very
ceremony in the Book Of the Dead
HE who is on his sand" This refers
to the dead Osiris who has been killed
by Set. The god has been mummif1ed.
his body placed in a cofnn and de-
posted, as usual, in a sandhill The
reading is found in hymns In which
ThOth addresses Osiris and restores
him to life by his words of power"
Priceless Relics Found.
little more than a days sail up the
Suef. and ten miles from the river. is the