The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-04-06

Prepared by the National Ceog raphic So
ciety, Washington, ID. c.
Stanley jourieyed thousands OF miles
TO lay bare the secrets of Africa to
the world; but In the northeastern
corner Of the same continent even
more thrilling exploration has been in
progress during the past few decades
through a relatively few feet of sand.
The ~excavators who with pick and
shovel have been bringing to light TIE
details of Egypt's ancient civilization
and the everyday life es her people.
where before only the barest outline
OF the nations history was available,
are as truly discoveries of unknown
civilizations as far-faring Marco Polos
or Pizarros.
For a long time Egypt was to the
rest Of the world little more than n
sea Of sand with a few dominant mon
uments-the pyramids. the Sphinx, the
cOiossi Of "Atemnon"-to point TO her
Past greatness. Relics OF various dy-
nasties existed side by side, their re-
lations often unknown.
The names Of many kings and some
Of their noblest exploits were known,
hut there was general ignorance In re-
gard TO the less exalted Egyptians. to
the activities that made up the life of
this mysterious nation beside the Nile
our and perhaps five and SIX or more
thousands OF years ago. Grave rob-
bers. whose activities extend back into
the DAYS long before the Ptolomies,
had rlfled many tOmbs and so made
much Of the early scientific excava
lions barren of results. And the early
excavation of E~gyptologists was itself
a careless procedure aiming at the big
goals and destroying and burying
many small objects Of incaicuIable
value In the Indications they might
have given OF manners and customs.
Recent exploration In Egypt has
been a vastly different matter. Modern
efficiency methods have been adapted
20 the delvlng for the buried secrets
Of the ancients. and now every cubic
foot OF sand about a promising site Is
combed or actually sifted that no
broken fragment of pottery. scrap Of
papyrus, OF jeweled bauble may es-
cape detection. In early days the
most common method Of d~isposing OF
b removed sand and debris was by
means of basket brlgades which |
dumped their loads nearby. Now light |
tramways are used and care is taken
TO haul the discarded material to a
point where 1t Is definitely known that
nothing OF value will be covered.
Where formerly a Sind" was a .fnd" ,
and was assembled with all others, |
now any object partially uncovered Is
photographed In place frequently as
che sand Is removed. so that no pos
Significance OF its position or re-
iatien to other objects VIII be v
locked: and before II Is stored II Is
carefully tagged, numbered and card
indexed.
Getting Real Picture Of Ancient Life.
These painstaking methods have
fully justified themselves. Instead of
having a confused mass OF facts, many |
Of them most interesting In them
selves, but often perplexlng. we are
getting by degrees a complete, intel
ligf1ie picture Of Egyptian life over a
Of thousands Of years. Seem
ing1y uuimportant things help greatly
10 All IN the picture. One would hard.
ly make the mistake OF picturing the
old Egyptians scratching matches to
Hight the kitchen fire but there was
for long M true picture TO take the
place Of fancy. Noiie Of the discovered
hleroglyphics showed the making OF
IRE. ana II appeared to be entirely
without religious signIicance. IN re
rent years. however. n OF the new
Of excavators sifted from the
sand d We~li-preserved fire .hnw and
1riii and even a board with blrnt
,oles. and the problem was snived.
Temporary towns besides the sites
IL great engineering projects ARE no
NV thing b the world. Cities FIR "a.
,orers were constructed Tor use willie
'on,c 81 ne pyrantis we're under
Instruction. enc such, town has been
ompsetely uncovered md gives d
\ i ,cfion of IIfc. nnftfr such con1f
|uay more t3an loo Years ngn. The