The herald., 1922-04-20


like the slums Of today with the
crowded dwellings opening on narrow
alleys. There were some separate
dwellings and some barrack-like struc-
lures presumably for unmarried work
ers. But even In the most humble
houses evidences were found that their
occupants lived on higher plane than
might have been supposed. Various
manuscripts were found including
medical treatise and several Wills. Ana
in the separate dwellings were FOUND
such toys as tops and dolls and tiny
boats TO show that the pastimes Of
children Of that remote time were not
vastly different from those OF today.
At the very border line between the
prehistoric and the historic In Egypt,
civilization, It has been found, had
reached a considerable degree OF de-
yelopment. The tombs OF the hrst
EGYPTIAN kings. who lived anywhere
from 5000 to 1000 years ago, are
such as no barbarians could have
erected-a fact which pushes the be-
ginning Of Egyptian civilization into
a very dim past indeed. This was be-
fore the days of pyramid building
when the tombs were underground
structures.
Preserved in the Tombs.
The furniture Of this distant period
was by no means crude as one might
assume II would have been. There
were ebony chests skillfully inlaid
with ivory, stools with ivory legs
carved like the legs Of bulls, vessels
cut from alabaster and ewers OF cop
per wrought with the cunning that
only highly skilled craftsmen could
have possessed. Daintily fashioned
bracelets on the withered arms Of the
mummy Of Egypt's first known queen
add further to the record Of the prog
ress In the arts which Egypt had at
tanned when we catch our first glimpse
Of It down the ages.
And there is pretty little picture
of the family relations Of this ancient
society. Besides the tomb Of the first
Egyptian king at Abydos is that OF
his daughter, and carved on her tomb
the pet name by which her father
knew her-"Sweetheart."
Even at that early date the cour'
was socially highly organized.
Womanhood was sincerely respect
ed In ancient Egypt and especially
was this true of the mothers. What
might be called Egypt's substitute fol
the fifth commandment ignored TIT
father. 1t was an injunction: "Nevel
forget what thy mother hath done fol
thee. She bare thee and nourishet
thee in all manner of ways. II thor
forgettest her, she might blame thee
she might lift up her hands to God
and He would hear her complaint
In many families 1t was the custom
for titles and property to pass not Il
the Gdest son but to the son Of thu
eide daughter. There was no moth
erin Jaw joke" In Egypt. To the mint
Of tie Egyptian II was the natura
thing that his wife's relations should
take a deeper interest In his affair
than his blood relations.
Much Of the ability Of those VIII
live today to look into the past o
Egypt, to see something Of its flesh
and-blood life, and to understand
somewhat Of the Joys and sorrows o
, its people, must be ascribed to tn
J preserving powers of the desert al
J Of that sandy land. The perfect con
, dition Of some Of the objects recoveret
from tombs is marvellous. One Of tn
best examples Of this was the toni
: Of the noble parents Of the grea
: Queen Tyi. The discoverer Of tn
' large airy chamber that was provides
3 as home for these important pei
sonages declared that II seemed tn
room might have been shut up only
few weeks before. Beautifully carve
} and inlaid armchairs stood about, o.
, them down-stuffed cushions tina
: could have been sat upon without in
: jury. In another part of the roor
r were twin beds" perfectly preserved
! The most amazing discovery Of al
| was that of a jar Of honey. $500 year
old, still a fluid and still having II
, recognizable odor.