Evening star., 1936-05-31
Turning Some Pages
of Archaeology
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

tIe past. III one way tnere Is ktnShiD
between the two curiosities because, in
examining archaeological remains, there
always Is a deal of speculation as to
where the people who left them are now.
This, in sense. is looking with intense
curiosity both ways.
Hundreds. perhaps thousands, of years
ago there were antiquaries, but it is
doubtful whether there ever were so
many busy on earth as there now are.
From one end Of the world to the other
expeditions are unearthing the past. Re-
Gently there have been some discoveries
which can be Interestingly grouped as
they 60 backward in long strides.
The totems Of the North American
Indians have long been familiar, but
attention has recently turned on a group
not so well known, and archeologists
are studying it with keen interest. In
the Albert Bay region Of British Colum-
bia are to be found some especially fas-
cinating modern totems. That is to say,
they are modern in that some of them
are only about two centuries old. They
display the strangest combination of
Christian practices and the pagan prac-
tices of totemism.
For example, one finds tombstones
with Christian inscriptions not at all
unlike those which are to be found in
many an American churchyard of 200
or less years ago, but beside them also
stand totem poles as memorials of the
same buried person. No chance is taken
as between the faiths. In some cases
Christian symbols have been placed on
pagan totem poles for the same reason.
In this region some extraordinarily curl
GUS poles have been found suggesting
that modern American cartoonists and
sketchers of funny pictures must have
wandered that way. The crudely carven
faces have one expression one way and,
If turned upside down, have a totally
different expression.
Now we move back two or three hun
dred years and find the EveSham Psalter.
A steward of the Earl of Dalhousie was
doing Spring housekeeping, or some
thing, in one Of the Scots castles of
the earl when he came upon the psalter.
1t bore the book plate of the ninth earl,
but that was only in seventeen-seventy-
something. Evidence of the book itself
shows that it was made at the Abbey
of Evesham between 124S and 1862.
There is evidence that the Evesham
Psalter once belonged to Richard, Earl
OF Cornwall. brother to Henry III and
Uncle to Edward I.
A psalter, Of course Is book of psalms.
The most famous one is the Luttrell
Psalter. Some idea of the value placed
on such items is given in the fact that
in 1929 the Luttrell Psalter was sold at
auction for $150,00o, it being purchased
by the British government. Fancy find
ing something of that value in ones
garret-which is just what has happened
in connection with the Evesham Psalter!
The latter is beautifully Illuminated.
the principal page being a depletion of
the crucifixion. Then there is another
page showing head of Christ, in much
the same manner revealed by the thir-
teenth century painters. Full-page IL
luStratlonS are mingled with the pages
of text. and every paragraph has its IL
Illuminated initial letter. There is Saul
ordering Doeg to slay the unbeliev-
ing priests, and here is Jonah being
swallowed by the whale.
The next stride is quite long one.
There recently has been found at Durn-
berg, in Upper Austria, wine fiagon
which archeologiSts say dates from the
fifth century before Christ. It belongs
to the Celtic culture in art and tells
a graphic story of the state of civiliza-
tion in Europe at that period-a civiliza-
ton which, by the way, was practically
lost during later centuries. The fiagon
stands little more than 18 inches, ris-
ing like a vase, with sweeping outward
curve from its narrow base, then cutting
sharply in and being surmounted by a
vertical section f1ning out into spout.
There are suggestions of Grecian vase
forms in its lines on the one hand. but
on the other suggestions of the Chinese
in part of the decoration
There is handle, and-and this is
regarded as being of special cultural
intereSt-its decoration furnishes a dis
tinct prototype of the gothic. Strange
creatures which call to mind the gar
goyleS, which later were used in gro
tesque gothic decorations, adorn the
upper part of the handle. The type of
mind which created the gargoyles of
Notre Dame was in existence in the same
part of the world more than four CEN
turies before Christ this f1agon proves.
X ~
Now comes the longest stride OF all.
The earliest known tomb in all Egyptol-
ogy has recently been discovered in an
ancient cemetery near the step pyramid
at Sakkara. 1t dates from $500 BIC,
which, Of course, makes the other
mornings happenings.
Walter B. Emery, attached to the
Egyptian Department of Antiquities.
made the discovery. The tomb was that of
Hemaka, who was grand vizier to king
Of the first dynasty The tomb was
found some Is feet below the surface.
Although hewn from the solid rock, it
is of immense proportions. Surrounding
the central burial vault are no less than
AZ chambers. They were devoted to
storage of special articles, such as fruit,
vegetables, meat and grain. One Of
these chambers was a wine cellar for
the dead vizier. 1t was found to con-
tain 1000 large jars. each carefully
sealed. The vizier must have had some
thing in the way of reputation.
A great many works of art also ap-
peared, astonishing works for the period.
Discs of yellow and white limestone are
there, inlayed with alabaster, some in
conventional designs. some showing
hunting and other scenes. Arrows and
ivory-headed spears were found and
various tools. A remarkable find, so
archeologists say. was fax rope, still
there after these thousands of long years.
The variety of objects suggests that the