Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-08-16
RICHES IN TOMBS
Jewels Buried With Rulers of An
cient Egypt.
Possibility That Wonderful Gems and
Priceless Works OF Art Are still
Beneath the Sands.

A popular interest in Egypt's won
derful history has been aroused by the
unprecedented discoveries made at
Luxor. But even the jewels unearthed
In the tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen are not
more beautiful than many which have
been previously found,
The trouble has always been that
the tombs hitherto uncovered have in
variably been rified by robbers, and
only the things they overlooked have
been left behind.
A jewel with a wonderful history
lay in glass case of the Royal society
some years ago at Burlington house,
London. 1t was Of cornelian, lapis la
Euli, and turquoise. and was made by
order of the pharaoh who reigned
about 5000 years ago. The king gave 1t
to one Of his court favorites and when
be died it was buried with him.
A robber of ancient Egypt broke into
his tomb, and upon him heavy fate
fell, In the shape of weighty slab
which formed the entrance to the
sepulcher, and crushed the thief fiat.
Year by year the ruined tomb with
the thief's body was buried deeper and
deeper, so that, like the tomb Of
Tut-Ankh-Amen, 1t lay for long cen
turtles hidden beneath the desert.
A few years ago Prof. Flinders
Petrie and his excavating party found
It. The fallen roof and the crushed
body of the thief told their tale, and
| the excavators were encouraged to
search for what they knew the thief
had not been able to carry off. Thus
at last they found the beautiful jewel
which the court jeweler designed fifty
| centuries ago.
The same explorer had another
| Stroke of luck in exploring the tomb
Of one of the pharaohs. 1t was found
| that at some remote period the tomb
had been entered by robbers, and that
the plunderers had broken off the mum
mified arm of his queen and hidden it
In crevice in the wall-perhaps on
being alarmed-and had never returned
to retrieve It,
On taking off the wrappings, the ex-
plorers found four magnificent brace
let's of gold with amethyst, turquoise.
/ and lapis lazuIi III varied and elegant
adjustments. The gold work was pc
culiarly fine and delicate, though the
metal, being pure, was soft, owing to
the absence of an alloy.
On another occasion explorers were
clearing the floor Of the passage to a
/ tomb when they discovered secret re-
teptacle which had escaped the tomb
riflers of bygone ages. In this secret
receptacle was little wooden box,
uuite rotten, filed with jewels OF per-
fectly marvellous workmanship, which
was carefully conveyed to the State
museum.
The principal jewel was a breast
plate Of gold, encrusted with precious
stones Of great beauty and. fine work.
manship. On the breastplafe were de-
picted two eagles guarding the tomb.
The rest of the jewelry consisted Of
necklaces, girdles, bracelets, and scores
Of various little trinkets.
With the recent record find, the
world has been set wondering wheth-
err, under the piled sand at the edge OF
the desert, there may not lie great
boards Of riches, for the ancient Egyp-
tians seem to have been in the habit OF
buryIng with their kings all their bar
barrie wealth.
/