Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-09-01
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
pELvING FOR ANTIQUITIES.
Material Acquisitions Made BY British
Archaeologists During Past Season.

Results of the archaeological exs
plorations and excavations III Egypt
the past season have just been report
ed by the British school of arehaeolo
gy Several material acquisitions
have been made along with new scien
tific discoveries. Methods of excava-
ton are necessarily native--not much
farther advanced than when the pyra-
mids were piled up.
They have found at Memphis NOR,
statuary and sculptures of the eigh.
tenth and nineteenth dynasties by
clearing another / 12 acres of the
great temple of Ptah. 1t was learned
that Shishak decorated the temple
with a cornice. Gradually the grea.
clearance of this historic site is ex-
tended year by year and it is expect
ed that the new law by which the
government claims everything found
in private land will not be exercised
to check this work. The buried city
has yielded all the various stages of
the manufacture of stone vases, from
the rough block to the vase spoiled IN
finishing.
A complete skeleton was found in a
grave with pottery surrounding ii al
Tarkhan. The man was lying on his
left side. with his knees drawn up
and his hands before his face. 4
similar example in an almost identi
cal position is on view in the mummy
room of the British Museum. In the
previous year a great cemetery of the
| first dynasty (5500 b. c. had been
| partly explored at Tarkham, about 40
| miles south of Cairo. This year the
| valley was cleared and found to con-
| tain some 500 graves closely grouped
on each side of an axial road. These
were carefully cleared, all the bones
measured. the skulls removed wher-
ever possible, plans drawn of each
grave and of the whole cemetery, and
| the form of every vase of stone or Of
| pottery exactly registered. This forms
| the most complete record yet made of
any old Egyptian cemetery
/ The preservation of the tombs in
| the cemetery of Tarkhan is remark
| able, 1t is reported. Owing to the
sand filling up the valley the bodies
have been less disturbed than is usu-
al, and the upper structures have
/ DccI itit III Soilit cdStS dDSolutcly
perfect. The brick wall which re-
| tanned the pile of sand above tho
graves, the little Sits in it for the
soul to come forth to the offerings, the
| Enclosure for the offerings and the
| stacks of pottery brought to the
| graves by the relatives and friends
with food and drink for the dead, all
| We're uncovered exactly as they had
been left over 1000 years ago In
| the graves were large numbers of al
abaster vases. slate palettes, and pot
terry vases. All the types of these
| when compared with those of the
royal tombs serve to date the graves
to the various reigns shortly befor,
and after Mena. Several blue glazed
vases were found, showing that sucl
glazing was commonly in use
/ Two new types of ivory spoons were
: found, one engraved ON the bowl witt
: birds and plants, the other formed q,
D two arms for the handle. with con
, joined hands for the bowl Alabaste
g stools, with legs a or inches long
/ were used for supporting dishes
e Many graves contained strings OF
/. carnelan, garnet, and blue glazed
e beads.
u AS whole. we get a view of thu
population. apart from the wealth q
the king and court, and see that they
had good furniture, fine vases, ant
plenty of ornaments, and We're ap-
parently in quite as civilized a condi-
ton as the Egyptians Of later ages
Although the damp of the valley pre-
vented the removal of the bones
which were all measured as they lay
+ yet by extreme care some 70 of til.
skulls have been preserved by soldi
flying with paraffin wax, and thes.
will be studied,-London Sphere.