SAKKARA

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 September 1938, Page 8

SAKKARA

CITY OF 200,000 DEAD. A city of 20,000 dead and a richlyornamented funeral causeway have been unearthed from the dust of 50 centuries at Sakkara, says a Cairo message to the ‘New York Tipies.’ The discoverer, Selim Bey Hassan, said that at least 20,000 mummies lie in the necropolis under the causeway, which connected a valley temple with the funeral chapel of Unas, last king of the fifth dynasty. The necropolis antedates the causeway—or walled passage—by about 300 years, but Selim Bey said that he found evidence it was used long after the causeway was built. The discovery of the latter was termed a find of highest importance, because inscriptions on the walls answered the puzzling question of where ancient Egyptians cut and dressed granite used for statues and temples. These inscriptions told the story of a technical school beside the quarries of Asswan, where all the dressing was done and where men learned how to cut the stone that was shipped northwards by way of the Nile. The richly-ornamented causeway is a passage 700 yards long and 7ft. wide. The side walls, 9ft, high, were covered with the largest known collection of old kingdom inscriptions and scenes.

With a ceiling with blue-painted stone to represent the sky, the pas sage was covered with large lime' stone blocks, with a central slit running its whole length to admit light and air. Walls and floor were of white tura limestone.

Scenes depicted included the transport by boat of red granite columns and capitals from Asswan 1o the pyramid of Unas, wrestling between Egyptians and Bedouis, and transport by boat of Asiatic prisoners. King Unas, who reigned over Egypt 5.000 years ago, was shown in company with a multitude of gods, preceded by bearers of offerings. Other scenes showed work in the fields in the four seasons, including gathering of honey and figs, harvesting, bird catching, and breeding of animals. i

Marketing scenes depicted trading by barter, men beating old gold leaf, and the casting of metal, polishing of gold and stone utensils, and weighing of goods in fine scales.

Discovery of the route from the chapel led to the finding of the valley temple itself. More than 300 stelae (slabs or pillars) and false doors were found in the temple—placed there to remind their owners of benefits conferred by the king.' The cemetery was cut from solid rock and covered several acres. It was traversed by long galleries, from which passages led to funeral cham bers and storerooms.

Along with the thousands of mummies were found pottery vases and fragments of alabaster vases.