Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 198, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 August 1912 — QUEEN CANDACE'S CITY IN THE SOUDAN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

QUEEN CANDACE'S CITY IN THE SOUDAN

7 - A T the conclusion of three seasons’ excavatlons, we are now z 1 able to trace the \ \ growth and realize the 1 general appearance of [Uf" Meroe, cnce the cap- ; bX/ ital of ancient EthiA/V opia, In the Sudan, ulrcx between Atbara and Khartoum. The whole site included several distinct portions. Near the river was the Royal City with Its palaces; beyond that a large area forming the township, In which were the dwellings of artisans, and doubtless of the soldiery; while, interspersed, there rose here and there great temples and public buildings. Further still towards the east (about three-quarters of a mile from the

river bank, and just on the further side of the modern railway) on the outskirts of the desert, Is -jar^vast —Necropo11s, extending two or three miles to the north and south, containing thousands of ancient tombs and burying - places. Still further In the desert, the Sun Temple stands alone; and beyond that again, some distance to the northe a s t, are the well known pyramids. North and south of the central area there are now extensive woods of stunted mimosa, so that the limits of the township are not yet determined; but in the former considerable buildIngs containing baths and yielding Meroltlc Inscriptions have been found in a clearing m .0 r e than a mile from the city.

That which we call the Royal City is a four-sided enclosure, 1,000 feet by 500, surrounded by a stone wall, about fifteen feet in thickness, built of splendid ashlar. The height of this wall must have been originally, may suppose, thirty or forty feet: at one point it is still preserved to half that height. There are two main entrances in the middle of the eastern walls, which are its longest sides; and two posterns, one to the north and one to the south. In the southern part of the enclosure are the royal palaces, built, like the walls of this citadel, in the age of the Ethiopian King Aspelut, or Just before In the seventh or eight century B. C.

Naturally, we have not yet been able to penetrate to the bottom all over this area, for many later buildings nearer the surface must be examined first, The original plan of the whole city is thus not yet clear; but several of the earliest buildings have already been examined in the northern portion: amongst these are several columned halls. It was under the threshold of one of these that, last year, we found the Bronze Head of Augustus, which had seemingly been carefully buried out of sight. In one of the Royal Palaces we also had the good fortune last year to be able to locate the ancient treasury, and though this had been completely ransacked and its walls destroyed, two pots, full of gold, and containing what was more important for us, inscribed jewels were found hidden under the foundation of neighboring walls. By the side of this palace, the past season’s excavations have brought to light the Royal Baths, decorated with colonnades, frescoes, glazed tiles, and remarkable statues based on classical models, as will be seen from the accompanying photographs. Outside the city wall, to the east, is 'the' great Temple of Ammon, the axis of which, from door to altar, is about 430 feet in length. The central avenue, with its columned halls and sanctuaries, has now been excavated, so that you may walk along its original pavements, see where animals were sacrificed, where the great swinging door closed off the sanctuaries from the public hall, and finally, reach the high altar, which remains in its original position. It is of black stone, decorated with carvings in relief; and at the foot of it, during our excavations, we found actually the last votive offering which had been placed upon it. Passing then, still eastward,

through the Temple of Ammon, there IS found a decorative klosque, outside Its main entrance; and to the south is a great building, recently found, which we have not yet completely excavated, though we have determined that It contains more than forty chambers. It was probably the official palace In the early centuries A. D. To the north of these greater buildings is the great area to which we have alluded, wherein were the dwellings and workshops of workers in metal; and, beyond these, extensive

pottery kilns, in which the last embers of the fires remain, with innumerable vases and fragments thrown around. Passingstill eastward, we seethe tombs, marked on the surface of the desert either by a low mound or a ring of stones. Their chambers . are gained generally by a short slope from the east. Inside, the dead lay upon their beds or upon mats; great storage vessels for water and other drinks occupied the northern end of the chamber; while smaller objects, baskets, vessels, and dishes of better quality were commonly arranged around the head at the southern end. In obedience to primitive Instincts, a warrior was burled with his weapons, which were of Iron (namely, sword, dagger, spear, and knives); and ths huntsman with his bow. In one case even the hounds of the huntsman had been immolated and buried with him. In the broadest of the green valleys that lead down from the deserts, the Sun Temple Is found rising up in a series of terraces, surrounded by .a beautifully designed cloister, its sanctuary gained by a flight of steps leading upwards from the east. This chamber was paved and walled with glazed tiles, many of which remain In their original position. It’ contained an obelisk or altar dedicated to the sun, and other emblems of the cult, including a large solar disc. The outer walls of this building are decorated with scenes representI Ing the royal progress after victory. 1 Amongst these scenes are those which ■ indicate the torture and sacrifice of ! captives; and In a smaltTjhamber attached to the southern wall of the temple there was found, burled, a quantity of jars filled with charcoal and what seemed like cremated human remains. Such, in brief, is the general outline of the city, but there are a hundred featured of detail which could not be visited In a day, nor described within the scope of this short article.