MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,100 Copies Daily. FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1905. EGYPTIAN EXPLORATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8051, 31 March 1905, Page 4

MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,100 Copies Daily. FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1905. EGYPTIAN EXPLORATION.

The cabled announcement some days ago of the opening up by the Egyptian excavators of a royal tomb which has remained undisturbed for 3400 years, is an event of great importance for the modern enterprise of reconstructing the history of the werld's ancient civilisations. This discovery does not carry us back to a particularly early period in the story of Egypt, for we have records relating to times earlier by some 4000 years. But the interest of this find centres in the fact that it dates from the time of the celebrated 18th dynasty, when Egypt became a world Power, and extended its dominion over Nubia, northern Arabia, Palestine, Asia Minor and Babylonia. It belongs to an epoch when the Egyptian civilisation was brought into closer contact with other forms than at any time before its conquest by Eomo. The most remarkable thing about six thousand years of the history of Egypt before Christ, concerning which we know something, is the relent, less force with which the Egyptians stamped their own national impression upon foreigners. Even when the Egyptians were conquered, they changed their masters in a generation or two into more faithful Egyptians than they themselves. There is every prospect that the archaeologists who are opening up this tomb, that has been sealed since the time of the conquering 18th dynasty, may find clear indications of the relations between Egyptian civilisation and those surrounding it. Every year cvi denco is accumulating with great rapidity to show that very ancient civilisations flourished all round the Meditteranean, and in Mesopotania, India and China. The historical question of most importance in connection with these is, How far did each jwork out its own advance for itself, and how much did it owe to the stimulous of contact with others ? Hitherto Egypt has shown few signs of foreign influence except in the times of the early dynasties, when it seemed to progress very rapidly under instruction from the much more civilised early Babylonians. But this recent discovery may show how the Egyptians of a later date managed lo learn from their contemporaries. The tomb opened up is supposed to be that of a foreign pair, whose daughter became queen.' The possibility has been suggested that these

strangers came from as remote a country as India. At all events this queen during her son's reign was-instrumental in forcing sun worship into the Egyptian religion. The processes by which the ancient religions tinged one another will perhaps be well illustrated wher> the whole story of this royal buria place is unravelled. It is interesting to notice that every fresh discovery in Egypt shows the prominence of women in ancient Egyptian life." The equality between men and women is the most definite proof of the advancement of Egyptian civilisation in certain very important departments. In. one respect the early Egyptians had carried out the principle of woman's rights more thoroughly than most modern nations, for they admitted women to the priesthood." Unfortunately the type of Egyptian woman most widely known is Cleopatra, the degenerate product of a degenerate country. Even among the ruling caste in Egypt to-day there exists the degraded institution of the harem, with its perpetual belittlement of women. Yet 4000 years ago the ancestors of the poor fellaheen of modern Egypt had a truer idea of the worth of woman. Further Egyptian research will probably bring out the reasons for this greatsocial advance amongst early dwellers by the Nile. The tomb of the parents of the religious reforming queen Teia may strangely enough help to enlighten the world on this subject.