OTAGO INSTITUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21979, 14 June 1933, Page 2

OTAGO INSTITUTE

OLD WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY

The speaker at the meeting of the Otago Institute last evening was Mr H, D. Skinner, who chose as his subject “Ur, and Old-world Archaeology.” In introducing his subject Mr Skinner explained that the archaeological branch of the Otago Institute discharged three function: It conducted fieldwork on local sites, it built up an archasological library, and it arranged for lectures on archamlogical subjects. In the present lecture it was intended to show by means of a fair-sized collection of pieces excavated at Ur by Mr C. Leonard Woolley and presented to our Museum by the British Museum and with the help of slides the nature of the discoveries at Ur and their, bearing on the early history of other areas in the Old World. The history of Sumer, the seaward part of Mesopotamia, inhabited by the Sumerians, and Akkad, the up-river region held by Semites, was then dealt with briefly. Sumerian culture was discussed, its various phases being illustrated by original pieces from the extensive Museum collection. The old stone age present in the high country to east, north, and west, is not present in the flat lands of Mesopotamia, which were probably represented by shallow sea at that time. The earliest' culture found is a fully-developed Neolithic, with painted pottery of a quality never afterwards equalled in Mesopotamia. Into this ancient culture came the Sumerian, a fully-developed metal-using culture. _ Its place of origin is unknown, but it invaded Mesopotamia from the sea* The Sumerian king-lists show 10 kings that ruled before the flood, and though their names are those of gods, it is fair to take this as a claim that Sumerian culture had found its footing well before the floood. Following the flood, which is represented on all low-lying sites by a bed of clay several feet in thickness and may be dated about 4000 b.c., came two dynasties of the city of Kish, and one dynasty of/Freeh. These were followed by the first dynasty of Ur, consisting of six kings, all of whom are historical. Their dates fall between 3100 B.c and 2930 b.c. Political control was always loose in Mesopotamia, and the period following the first dynasty of Ur is a welter of antagonistic city governments, about which little is known Beyond the names. The third dynasty of Ur emerged in 227 S 8.c., with a series of kings whose names and dates are known and many of whose public works have come down to us, though in ruins. After its third dynasty Ur sank back into political obscurity, though it remained to the end of Mesopotamian history a great political centre. Sumerian culture, which had entered Babylonia before the flood, permeated all the surrounding areas, and had a profound effect on religion, science, and engineering in the West. Mr Skinner showed that its influence in the East had probably been not less profound. Among the long and fine series of slides > shown were a number illustrating Sumerian influence in Scythia. Western Europe, China, and India. Of particular interest were the slides showing the results of excavation at Mahenjo-daro, in the Lower Indus Valley. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the speaker.