Evening star., 1933-12-28
Archaeological Institute Told
of Finding of Once Power
full Kingdom.
OVER 125 CITY AND TOWN
SITES ARE UNEARTHED
Declared Land of Nabateans, Who
Held Wide Sway for Approx
mately 600 Years.
tence of a great and frogot-

The existence of great and frogot-
ten kingdom, with large cities and eX-
tensive Notifications, which dominated
the country east of the Jordan River
and around the Dead Sea for approxi-
mately 600 years, was revealed before
the Archaeological Institute Of America,
meeting here today.
More than 125 city and town sites
of this kingdom have been brought to
light recently by archeologistS associat-
ed with the American School of Orlen-
tai Research, according to the report
presented by Nelson Glueck of the
Hebrew Union College. Their eXcava-
tions show it to have been one of the
notable kingdoms of antiquity. 1t was
the land of the NabateanS, an Arabic
people who obtained command OF the
camel caravan routes by which the
riches of Asia were poured into Greece.
Rome and Egypt. The kingdom existed
from about the fourth century BIC. to
its overthrow by the Roman Emperor
Trajan in the second century AID.
Noted as Pirates.
The Nabateans built their cities at
the functions of the caravan routes
and not only built up a considerable
commercial prosperity by trade, but
were noted as pirates. At one time
they destroyed the navy Of Cleopatra
in the Red Sea.
Much of the culture Of the people,
DR.. Glueck said, can be reconstructed
from fragments of pottery. statues
and other relics found in the ruins as
well as from the remains of the build
ingS themselves. The NabateanS it
was pointed out, were close neighbors
of the Hebrews of biblical times and
probably exerted a marked influence
on their history. Many Of their cities
are mentioned. under other names, in
the Old Testament narrative.
East OF the Nabateans was the Bib
lical land of Moab" The archeolo-
gists have found a succession Of forts
and stone watch towers extended along
the entire Moab frontier which evi-
IDENTIFY were set up as a system of de-
fense. Some were blockhouses, which
probably contained about a squad of
soldiers. while others were large forts.
Each watch tower was in sight of its
two nearest nelghborS so that an eff
cient signaling system could be set up.
Area Abandoned
Much of the area is now abandoned.
It's commercial prosperity was ended
after the Roman conquest and the de-
SIIuCIlOl VI Tie CARAVAN routes.
Marble faces which appear to have
been actual portraits" of some of the
great figures of Greece and Rome have
been recovered from the ruins of the
Aga-a at Athens by archeologiStS Of
the American School of Classical Studies
at Athens. it was reported by-Dr. T
Leslie Shear of Princeton University.
Some Of these can be recognized from
printed descriptions of the men them
selves and from comparisons with other
statues.
Perhaps the most remarkable DR..
Shear said, is a portrait bust of the
Emperor Augustus, which may be a
closer approach to his actual appear
ance than any other representation
which has been preserved. In general
it resembles the customary picture Of
Augustus. but the lines of the face are
evidently intended to convey the i'm
preston of a sick man. Augustus is
known to have been i'll most of his life,
especially during his visit to Greece.
Another Is the portrait bust of a
bald, beared old gentleman with deeply
furrowed brows and rather benevolent
expression, which, it is believed, is in
tended as representation of the
philosopher Socrates Traditionally
Socrates was one Of the ugliest men
alive and usually was pictured as such,
the sculptors taking their cues from the
lampoons of the Greek comic poets.
Here he Is represented as a rather
| good-looking old man, perhaps from a
more favorable oral tradition which
had come down from those who knew
him.