Evening star., 1923-04-01
Determine Chronological Basis.

The principal achievement OF the eS-
pedition during the past three years,
under the auspices of Harvard Uni
versity and the Boston Museum of Fine
Arts, probably has been scientific ex-
animation and analysis of the fifty
royal tombs in the cemeteries at Meroe
and the resulting determination of the
chronological basis for the history of
Ethiopia during the Meroetic area, the
report indicated.
1.-THE period is long one, and to the
layman the effort to- fix the order of
fifty royal tombs situated in apparent
confusion on two separate hills may ap-
pear almost hopeless, although the pro-
cedure is really quite simple" said DR..
Reisner.
The Identification of the tombs with
the names of the kings and queens
buried in them has been COM
pleted, except in the cases of twenty
three of the royal persons buried in
been found by the Inscriptions in the
chapels or on the coffin benches or
on the affairs. However, the work
of piecing together the fragments of
affairs is yet incomplete; a few more
names may still be connected with
their pyramids, and the task of the
identification of the kings promises
to reach a fairly satisfactory con-
clusion.
Observed Satf-BuriaI Custom.
The custom of sati-burial, accord
| ing to which the members of the
kings household killed themselves or
were killed when he died, and were
| buried in the same tomb, prevailed at
Meroe from the second century, B. c.,
onward says DR.. Reisner.
THE great outstanding feature of
the history of Ethiopia was that the
Ethiopian cultural unit stood as an
outpost of Egyptian civilization in
middle Africa" Prof. Reisner said.
Egyptianized while 1t was under the
sway of Egypt. and the Egyptian in
| fiuence, though gradually diminish
| ing, remained dominant for hundreds
of years.
"The Ethiopians. however We're not
so entirely dependent on Egyptian
civilization as this might seem to in
dicate, for they invented script of
| their own, as few other nations have
| done, unique in the form of letters
adapted only to the writing of their
own peculiar language. The cursive
| was invented first for the practical
| purposes of daily life and caused an
| immediate decline in the knowledge
| of Egyptian. and when the knowledge
| of Egyptian hieroglyphics was lost
| they invented hieroglyphic script OF
their own. These inventions are
1 warnings that the genius of the peo-
1 pie Of Meroe is not to be under esti-
| mated"
Little Art Uncovered.
| 6The excavations also uncovered a
few objects of Greek art, consider
| able quantity of objects of HELEN
! istic-Roman art, nearly all of them
manifesty imported, and some forms
4 lenistic forms. showing that there
was Greek influence on Ethiopian
/ art.
| "As always, throughout Ethiopia, y
| Dr.. Reisner said, "the burial cham
| bers of every tomb which he exca-
4 waited had been plundered, and usually
very completely plundered. The gold
! objects actually found by the expedi-
4 tion were therefore only those over
| looked or dropped by the thieves
| There had been elaborate gilde6
mummy cases. sometimes with inlaid
| stones, carved wooden beds and
| toilet boxes with decorated ivory in.
lays, rings, earrings. necklaces, brace.
4 lets, girdles and crowns of, gold or
the mummies; vessels of alabaster
1.-THE burial chambers; mirrors. sceptres
| wands, bows. arrows, quivers, ant
even flutes. laid with the mummy
! Evidences were found of all these
The most important objects of 1oca
manufacture found by the expedi.