OVER 2000 YEARS AGO.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 April 1925, Page 9

OVER 2000 YEARS AGO.

VANITY BAGS IN' ID MBS

In-, the,heart of , the Chinese Empire, in the rarely-visited mountain passes north of Urga, the capital of Moagolia, discoveries of tombs 200 J years «}d have revealed a hoard of valuables exhibiting a high degree of luxury. An. account of the discoveries has been received from Colonel Kozlofl, the leader of the Mongolian-Tibet expedition of the Royal Geographical Society. He found tnree groups of grave mounds, or tumuli, belonging to .tinperiod of the Hang dynasty —200 B.C. One of the tombs contained delicate grey silk tapestry, with pictures representing riders, griffins, and hunters, with arrows, directed at a huge bird holding a serpent in its beak. The pictures were divided by woven hieroglyphics—the first Chinese hieroglyphics, said by scientists to be 3000 years old. Another grave contained many plaits of human "hair, with cases, and talismans as well as plaits without cases. One of these tresses r which evidently belonged to a girl, was plaited at the end, and in the middle was,bound up with a red , silken pord, Among the garments found were an, entirely ifitact grey silken shirt, a.hat,, and pat;ts ,)f garments, collars,, and sleeves, bordered with .sable furs. . • in front,of the coffins were frequently found several black clay nrns, the bottoms of which were .filled .with black “brick” tea (compressed tea), and on it seeds of the “ChumitsaV plant- ~ Other finds were lotus-shapeo candlesticks, with large rounded golden leaves, two big. axle boxes for chariot wheels, a perfuming pan, a basin, mug, part pi a . handsomely ornamented cat’s head, a decanter with tumblers, small glasses, small sups with crooked handles and big spare handles, a niece of broken mirror and amber beads. In the grave of “a lady of rank were found many dainty golden valuables and ornaments, including a quaint cylinder-shaped ring with red stones, ear-rings to match, a little head of, a mythological beast with a stone set in its head a locket, many pieces of. different dainty silk, and woollen tissues, and the finest silken tissues looking like gauze of the softest tulle. The expedition believes that the hump ii remains found belong not to the Mongolian, but to the Aryan race, the stock from which the peoples of Western Eurone and the. military races oi Northern' India have descended.