The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-06-19
KEEN SEARCHFO
EGYPTIAN RELICS
University of Pennsylvania Is
Sharing in Antiquary Research
With Four Parties.

OF HennSylvanla'S Egyptian exped1-
ton, which has been delving into
buried history at the entrance OF the
Valley of the Kings where the tomb
of Tut-Ankh-Amen was recently found,
is preparing to move to cooler
climate to continue seSrching for
bits of information relating to the ac-
| tivities of men in past ages.
The university is now conducting
four expeditions. One is in the Valley
Of the Kings, another at Memphis.
which was the oldest capital Of Egypt !;
a third in Palestine, and another IN
Babylonia, where in connection with
the expedition of the British museum,
an ancient temple believed to have
been built 5000 years before the
birth of Christ was discovered. An
nouncement Of the finding of this tenn
pie was recently made. Inscriptions
were found showing that King Nebu-
chadnezzar repaired the place during
his reign in the Sixth century, B. G.
Excavation Work Continuous.
The university has arranged the
work Of her excavaters so that when
the hot weather season GENES In one
place they move to another, assuring
almost continuous effort
The work now coming to close is
at Thebes In an area adjoining the
concession of Lord Carnarvon. During
the two seasons of digging at Thebes
several tOmbs have been discovered
constructed in the same WY as that
Of Tut III h mon h,,t oil of than orov1
and looted The objects found in each
were not Of interest to robbers, such
as canopic Jars, ushabtis, Inscriptions
and papyri
In the last named class of objects a
really notable discovery was made at
the close Of last season, when two
sealed pottery cylinders we're found
within the entrance chamber OF a
tomb, which contained rolls of papyri
These were in perfect state Of pres
ervation. On the outside of each roll
was a document written in ancient
Greek, and upon examination the
proved to be Denote docu-
ments dating from 31S B. O. to 205
B. G. They are mostly contracts, and |
contain the business transactions of |
d family during the period of years
which they covered. These papyri |
are now being translated In the uni
versity museum.
All of the tombs discovered on the |
concession were of officials
Of the government of Thebes who
wished to be buried near the kings, |
and whose tOmbs are, therefore, found |
IN close proximity to the royal resting
places
At the same time that the univer-
sity museum is working this conces-
zion at Thebes it is also excavating
where the museum expedition discov-
sred several years ago the royal pal
ice Of Merenptah, an extensive struc-
ure covering a large area and in
losing numerous courts. The floors
# this temple are found % feet below
he surface OF the ground. The lower
walls, and sometimes doorways and
ARTS Of columns are found standing.
Tut's Father-in-Law.
One of the interesting discoveries
made at this place is the head of a
lfe-size statue Of Animation. the ia
her-in-law of Tut-Ankh-Amen. The
are exquisitely modelled and
he sensitive face is rendered In a
lifelike manner.
The throne room of the Merenptah s
alace, especially the dais shows rich
culpture and elaborate use of color.
he ornaments and hieroglyphic in
criptions on the columns, and the
surrounding the doorways,
re inlaid with beautiful pale fayence.
the throne room are :
ressing rooms, retiring rooms, and :
bathroom, which originally had run
ing water. :
Excavation here is still in progress. :.
nd its completion is expected to
lrow much light on the domestic and
fetal life of the Phsraohs.
Memphis was the capital of Egypt G
ON the earliest times down to about
600 b. G. Then the Pharaohs moved
leir capital south to Thebes, which
rose to great splendor. Herodotus re- P
,rred to the hundred gates Of Thebes.
his city remained the capital until +
lexander the Great founded the new