THE TOMBS OF KINGS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 28 March 1923, Page 7

THE TOMBS OF KINGS

BURIALS IN EGYPT

RAVAGES OF ROBBERS

Th 3 popular interest in Egyptology since Lord Carnarvon’s 'discovery was reflected in the eagerness shown to hear Professor W. M. Flinders Petrie at University College, when he gave an interesting lecture on “Iteyal Burials in Egypt,” and discussed the tomb of Tutenkiiamun in the light of existing knowledge about royal burials throughout Egyptian history, says a London paper. The Professor remarked that almost all the royal tombs in Egypt had been spoliated in the past. Not a single royal burial had been found complete in modern research. Even in the great tomb now discovered some objects had perished Half-a-dozen European museums had had all their gold works stolen or destroyed in the past generation, so that discovery seemed to be a doubtful benefit and a museum a perilous place. Speaking of the disposal of the relics from Tutenkhamun’s tomb, Professor Petrie said he hoped it would be possible to preserve these very frail and beautiful things in the dry air of Thebes in a proper museum specially prepared for them. This would bo far better than to take them into the fogs and damp of Cairo, where there would be danger of serious damage, especially to the gold objects. He showed a photograph of what he called ‘‘the oldest piece of jewellery in the world,” a queen’s bracelet found by him in a very early tomb years ago. It was preserved owing to the fact that the tomb-robber pushed it into a hole m the wall while he tried to secure more gold articles. It was forgotten until Professor Petrie’s workmen found it, and he was able to recover it complete. It is of gold and faience alternately.

A CLEAN SWEEP MADE Discussing the motives which led to the elaborate burial customs of the Egyptians, Professor Petrie said there was much in common between the ancient Egyptian ideas and those which still persisted in West Africa, such as the worship of the spirit of the ancestor king, the priest of the dead king who could give oracular orders, etc. Egypt in these ways was truly African. He traced the growth in the grandeur and elaboration of the royal tombs through the dynasties, and gave an interesting account of the activities of the robbers, showing pictures which illustrated the extraordinary extent of the damage done by the thieves. So thorough were they that there was only one body known before the eighteenth dynasty which may be that of a king. Every pyramid which had been examined had been found plundered—empty and desolate. From one pyramid the only relic of a king was an inlaid gold serpent which Professor Petrie discovered. All the precious metals had been cleared from the tombs of every age. From the eighteenth dynasty onwards had been discovered a very large number of kings’ tombs. In the four centuries of the Theban age there were 29 sovereigns, of whom 26 tombs were known and 21 bodies of kings had been preserved as mummies.

THE LAST OF lIIS LINE Professor Petrie showed the death mask of Akhenaten, who moved the capital to Tel-el-Amarna. The religious revolution of this king, who worshipped Aten, the disk of the sun, was the greatest step ever made by the human mind in contrast with its surroundings. He had the purely scientific conception of the sun as the source of human energy. It was not until almost living memory that such a stage of thought was reached again—the thought that the radiant energy of the sun is the source of all action. Egypt afterwards fell back on the old worships. The high priests domfnat-

. ed the country, and Tutankhaten became Tutenkhamun—“Amen” being the name of the ancient god of Thebes. Tutenkhamun was the last king of his line. There was no direct heir, and this accounted for the extraordinary profusion of fine furniture found by Mr Carter. It was no simple burial, and the furniture was not the funeral equipage of the king. It was a collection of all the fine things from the palace which there was no heir to inherit. Rather than allow the priest or general who succeeded Tutenkhamun to inherit the pride of life of tbe king, all His possessions were buried with him. For this reason Professor Petrie thought it would be f found that some of the furniture was of much earlier periods than that of Tutenkluimun. SECURITY IN I’UTURE LIFE The excavation of these long passages through the solid rock to the tombs was a remarkable matter A thousand cubic yards of rock had lo be removed to make the tomb of Seti 1., and the walls smoothed and prepared for sculpture. The tomb of Seti 1. contained 2000 square yards of carving and painting. Discussing the theological ideas illustrated in the tombs, Professor Petrie showed that the arrangements were designed to give tbe Icing security in his future life. When tbe king died tbe palace was . closed, parties of men and women roamed in the streets singing dirges while the mighty king lay helpless in the hands of the embalmer. It. was said, “The falcon has flown to heaven.” A fascinating account, was given of the elaborate ritual of the funeral, one point being that, as the tomb pictures show, a group of wailing women circled slowly round the mummy—■ just as the Egyotiau women do to this day at a funeral.