Evening star., 1925-12-06

Is mobiles, or Amrads, surround the
base of the tomb.
Tin hanan was the ancestress OF
the Tuareg line of kings. whose rule
was that of a matriarchate-that is.
the succession descended through the
female side. Legend appears to link
her with the great goddess of the
Carthaginians, Tanit, and with
Athena OF the Greeks. The tomb re-
sembles the so-called Christians
tomb at Algiers, but Is better pre-
served
We began digging half way be-
tween the base and the top, driving
into the heart of the structure and
then downward until we struck q pas
sage leading ino an open chamber
filed with dried dates, wheat and food
stored ages ago.
There were eight chambers,
where we explored only the treasures
of the queen. The French soldiers
are now guarding the tomb. which the
French government has declared
national monument.
Carthage and Utica were not the
first states to exploit the Sahara
country. We found all along the neo-
lithic stations marked by black stones
and ancient flint in the dry river beds.
indicating that still more ancient trade
routes had passed that way. These
hints were handiwork OF man at the
dawn of history and might be 10000
wears old. We found IA in the same
river bed within half an hour. show
ing that II was once a th!Ckly popu-
lated region.
Guided to Tomb.
Louis Chapui. a former officer
with the French Sahara troops. had
once seen this tomb and recalled Its
location and guided us to it. We
we're also aided in the work by ma
tives.
The count said that the natives. the
Tuaregs, a white race. were hoSpitable
everywhere. but that they became ex-
cited when the treasures were taken
out of Tin-hanan's tomb. The greatest
diplomacy was required to quiet them.
The expedition. he said, went un-
armed They treated the natives
courteously and taught them TO sing
college and Rotarian songs.
Caught In Sandstorm.
we are glad to have found some
thing after our hardships in the
desert" Count de Prorok said. Some
times we went without water when
our overheated engines required water
"On our return from the Hoggar
country our automobiles were caught
in a terrific sandstorm amid dunes of
moving sand 1900 feet high, the
greatest dune country of the Sahara.
Mr.. Tyrrell and l reached Ouargla.
but the other two cars were lost for
four days. We had just sent out a
camel caravan to search for them
when we saw them creeping over a
ridge miles away.
The Libyan Venus to which Count
de Prorok referred is a small stone
statuette of great antiquity found
near the tomb of Tin-hanan. Count de
Prorok said 1t may date from nearly
10o. 900 BIC The treasures found in
the tomb, in which a skeleton was
discovered, included "a golden diadem
dotted with stars, necklaces of
precious stones. Is bracelets, Of
them gold and 9 silver; furnishings Of
delicately carved wood. a complete set
of toilet articles. a little mound Of
precious stones"
The expedition packed up as cases
Of these marvels." Count de Prorok
said. "and presented them to the
governor general Of Algeria
Count de Prorok. whose excavar
tions on the site Of Carthage have
made him a prominent figure In
archaeology. is we'll known in Wash
ington. He lectured here last year
under the auspices Of the Art and
Archaeology League and afterward for
the National Geographic Society. At
the time of his visit here he was con-
templating the expedition into the
Tuareg country, from which he has
just returned.