RESEARCH IN PALESTINE

Evening Star, Issue 22526, 19 December 1936, Page 23

RESEARCH IN PALESTINE

THE FLINDERS PETRIE EXPLORATIONS Lady Flinders Petrie writes as fol. lows to a friend in Sydney:— % “Tii© researches of Sir Flinders Petrie during the last seasons have been productive of much. interest. A caravan expedition through Syria in 1934 sought clues in early history. An investigation on the borders of Sinai in 1935 led to the discovery of a -frontier fortress defending the road between Palestine and Egypt. The resumption of this digging in 1936 brought to light, within the walls, 12 town levels: dating from the Christian era back to 1200 8.0. “ It is with the intention of work to a finish on this important series that we now return tSiere. The district was a Riviera in classical times, and known as Anthedon, ‘ Flower or De< lights,’ but sand dunes have made i| almost uninhabitable, and we find it difficult even to reach it or camp'there. “ Last season, with six assistants, one of them an Australian, we got out 13 plans of these towns, a century apart. One fortress had a corner ‘foundation deposit ’ of food and drink offering, another had an apron of stepped brick* work, yet another had a' dais of a shrine. A statistical diagram of the small finds tabulates the rise and fall of the civilisations of the various periods, and these are found to corre. spond with the fluctuations in known history. W© now propose to excavate the three or four remaining. levels ol this frontier town. It will be of value as an investigation in the earlier ages of Palestine and Egypt, and we may hope to learn more of the early Canaan* ites below the level of the Shepherd Kings. The connection with Biblical history invites interest. “ The same season we expect to move on for ’ exploration of another site, to make further researches in the less, known periods. Details of this will be given later on. We invite support by donations to the Biblical Research Ac. count to relieve anxiety in digging and publication. Address Lady Petrie, Uni. versity College, Gower street, Lon. don.”- 1