The Washington herald., 1913-02-02
AN ALABAsTER SPHINX.
From the London STANDARD.

I FROM tns Lennon
Another sphinx weighing ninety tons
and carved from a single block OF ala
baster, has been unearthed al a point
between the worldfamed culOssi on the
water-logged plains OF Memphis in Egypt.
For hundreds of years it has lain in
recumbent position. buried beneath the
sands on the road to SakkaTch. To-day
I il is half exposed to view and next year
| II Is TO he raised to vertical position
above the water line.
This newly found sphinx was betrayed
in its hiding place by its taily which Mr..
MaCkay one OF the students bf the Brit
ish School in Egypt. discovered about a
year ago. This year. when the water
on the plain subsidized. the complete ig-
ure was eNCavatcd and was found to
measure some fourteen feet high and
twenty-siX feet in length. Alahastcr be-
ing rock foreign to the reighborhood.
the new sphinx ranks as the largest that
has ever been transported The figure
bears no inscription. but is considered
h- Prof Flinders Pctrio. the director OF
the British School in Egypt, to have
been carved about 1900 B. c.
Many other remarkable discoveries. TAX
ing the mind back as far as -SN0 T. G.
aud lifting the veil OF centuries from
EGypts romantic story. have also been
made 10y the same school and with the
Rameses II and the God Ptsh. which
will be sent direct To the CarlsberG Mu-
scum at Copenhagen. and a few other
details arc now on exhibition at Uni
v"rsity College. Cover Street. They in
cIudo many objects quite new 10 Egypt
ooFis,s
Among these are collins made of hasket-
work. reeds or withcs. sandal trays. an
AK handle. in which tho grip is composed
..E ,F
burnt incense for fire offering Of 400
r g. and numerous pieces Of timber
showing by their formation the principles
q building construction that were In
vogue nearly 5000 years r. c. Most OF
the relics come from Tarkhan. an OK
tcnsive cemetery about thirty-five miles
south OF Cairo. which dates from the
earliest historic age down to the Pyra-
mid period.
The site is the most roTtherly upon
which Prof. Petrie has conducted eXcava-
tiOns and the results have been most
gratifying. In spite OF the great antiquity
Il the graves the objects found are in
rcmarkahle state Of preservation. There
are bCdstrads with hooflke feet. which,
although nearly 6,0oO years old. look ca
pable OF sustaining a fair weight to-day.
and long rolls Of soft linen cloth. also
600 years old. but as tough and pliablc
loom.
One Of the withv hampers now In the
Cairo Museum, although or the same
age. had the small leaf buds of tho
withcs still showing when it was found. |
Some of the bcdsteads even retain the
rush webbing and plated palm fiber.
The graves OF the early Egyptians were
always well provided with such neccs- !
saries as were thought essential for the |
spirit OF the departed when 1t again ma
teriallzed. Consequently, the relics from /!
Tarkhan include head rests Csome of
them carved out of trees trained spe-
cially into peculiar shapes), sandals, large |
Jars of food. and various vessels OF
gypsum and semi-transparent alabaster. !
Some of the vases bear the name of
Mena, the earliest known Egyptian King. |
They arc considered by some experts to !
he a tribute corresponding to the modern |
floral wreath.