Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 253, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1913 — CEMETERY of 5500B.C. FOUND [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CEMETERY o f 5500B.C. FOUND

by ARCHAEOLOGISTS

LI

NDER the direction of the British School of Archaeology in Egypt a great cemetery of the first dynasty (5500 B. C.) was explored last year, according to the Sphere, and much that was important was accomplished, both from the standpoint of science and that

of the acquisition of relics. The valley In which the excavations were made is situated at Tarkhan, about 40 miles south of Cairo. It was cleared thiß year and found to contain about 800 graves. An exact record was made of all the contents of the graves. The bones were measured, plans were made of each grave and of the entire cemetery and a complete description of all the pottery and vases that were found was set down. As the cemetery dates from the most critical point In Egyptian history, the finding of such a detailed record, the most complete ever made, is considered of much importance to archaeology, s This points is regarded as the preMemphite capital of Egypt, as it was the place of residence of great numbers of wealthly Egyptians before Memphis became the capital of united Egypt. It is supposed that in addition to the many gray.es that have

been discovered, there are great numbers under the water. The tombs which have been opened are, many of them, in a remarkable state of preservation, as the filling in of sand in the valley has preserved the bodies'Jyom disturbance. In the graves quantities of alabaster and pottery vases were found. Some of the vases were of the’ blue glazed variety. There wqj-e also slate palettes, alabaster stools such as are used to support dishes, strings of bead and ivory table implements, among which were spoons ornamented with flowers, foliage and birds in carving on the bowl.. Another spoon was in the shape of two arms, with scooped palms for the bowl. The two

arms closely bound together formed the handle of this spoon. The residents of Tarkhan must have been extremely prosperous, according Ip the evidence furnished by the excavations. They were provided abundantly with beautiful ornaments for their households and persons, and also with innumerable useful articles of practical necessity in the kitchen, the dining hall and the boudoir. Some of the tombs are so well preserved thatj the whole story of Egyptian reverence for the dead and belief in immortality can be read by a glance at the tomb. In the brick wall above the grave may be seen the little slit through which , the soul comes forth for its offerings. 1 The. offertory still stands, as do the piles of pottery which once bore food and drink for the departed, and which were brought to the tomb by the relatives and friends. Many works of art of the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties have been discovered by further clearing of the great temple of Ptah, in Memphis. From s some of the excavated workshops in Memphis have, been procured all the utensils used in the manufacture of stone vases and examples of the vases in all Btages of construction. Colored stones which were brought from the desert and other rich stones which were imported into Egypt for use in making ornaments for the very wealthy have been found In these shops. A few miles south of Glzeh excavations revealed some unusually large tombs of the twelfth and thirteenth dynasties. The excavations revealed that a robbery had been attempted centuries ago. The robber had entered the tomb by a little opening, the result of a piece of excavating on his own account, and he had gathered together a little heap of ornaments with which he was about to make off when the top of the tomb had fallen on him and crushed him. His skeleton was found in the tomb by the excavators, and close to it a handsome gold pectoral inlaid with colored stones, of which the poor wretch had hoped to rob the dead.