LAUGHS AT CURSES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11832, 13 January 1933, Page 3

LAUGHS AT CURSES

FAMO US EGY BIOLOGIST

BEAUTY OU ANTIQIUTY

The sole survivor of the little pa*ty which, led by the late Lord Carnarvon, discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen, Dr. Howard Carter, has left once more for Egypt. __ t Before going he proved himself tuo first really human archaeologist t have met. writes a ‘Sunday Express representative. He answered questions T have longed to ask an Egyptologist. and answered them so that they were intelligible to a mere layman.

“Why does the Egyptology section of the museums bot'c me stiff.- I asked him.

“Because of the fetish for age m this country. “Actually the stones of which some of our museums are built a'e a good deal 1 ’ vlder than some of the -tone works from Egypt which tbcj shidtor. , . “Because of the filings they ll a'o aeon in our museums most people imagine Egyptian art to be composed of great chunks of stone with some crude drawings chiselled cm them. “That is rubbish. Their work was as good as that of any period. Look at this l” J-Ie showed mo a sculptured head m stone which would have done Rod* ll credit. ' , “That is the sort of • thing y !l _ e Egyptians could do. Nothing P’ 1,111 tire about that. The state of civilisation in ancient Egypt was, in some ways, as great as oui- ohu. Li the matter of hygiene, for Instance. Iho.v fnul baths more generally in use than wo, have. And they were shower baths, too. , “There are masses of treasures stu to be discovered. But, of com si , since the tweuLv-oiglit kings have been accounted for there will be no worldK [inkino; discoveries such us hat o Tutankhamen.

“You must try to see in nur museums some Egyptian work wW-h hoe* not bore you. Look for the beautiful things, never mind about their age . T asked him about the curse which was said to have been placed on aU Those who assisted in the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb. ‘ 'He laughed. “That is pure nonsensical invention. There is, more oLeu than not, an inscription .of welcome ou the walls of the tombs .« Egypt. Where tho story.ol the ciUse came from I have not an idea. I am q(F to the desert again”.