EGYPTIAN DISCOVERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 75

EGYPTIAN DISCOVERIES.

TREASURE IN A PYRAMID. Great interest has been aroused by the latest discoveries of Professor Flinders Petrie in Egypt. In a lecture delivered at University colleges he gave an account of his successful feat, after assiduous- labours spread over a quarter of a century, of probing into the pyramid of JLahup or lllahun. This stands, a black mass, at the mouth of the channel in . the desert which leads into the Fayum, 60 miles south of Cairo, and Professor Petrie will describe the finding of the “greatest hoard of Egyptian jewellery that has survived” the attacks of man and decay. The pyramid was built by Senusert 11, about 5400 b.c., and although Professor Petrie discovered the entrance 25 years ago, it was only last winter, with the help of the students and resources of the! British School of Archaeology in Egypt, that he laid bare contents oi extraordinary value and interest.

The pyramid itself possesses a full share of the weird aud awe-inspiring aspects of such remains of ancient art and labour. It stands upon a rock on a hill, isolated by a deep and vtide cutting, and in some is buried 15ft deep in sand and rubbish. ; The material is black bricks, with an outer easing of fine limestone. Most pyramids built by the •earlier kings have shown signs of human ravages, but the designer in this case apparently sought to avoid that by taking the'utmost precaution to hide . the entrance. The chambers were excavated in the solid rock, and entrance was by way of two shafts. 'No more complete example of the later pyramids has been found, and none has been more thoroughly scraped, brushed, and examined, not a fissure or crack having been overlooked.

Around the pyramid is a stone wall 12ft high, and near this 14 tombs of the Royal Family have been discovered. A stone trap door in the floor of one of these gave access to a passage leading to a chamber in the pyramid containing the granite sarcophagus of Senusert. This sarcophagus Professor Petrie has described, in his work on “lllahun, Kahun, and Gnrob,” as “perhaps the finest piece of mechanical work ever executed in such a hard and difficult material. The form is quite unlike that of any other coffin known, having a wide lip all round the top. . ... The surface, though not

polished, is smooth ground to an impalp able fineness, and most exquisitely flat.”

But it is of another tomb and its contents that the lecturer had the strangest tale to tell. This was the tomb of a princess, also containing a sarcophagus,'which had been ransacked and everything abstracted. But the workmen were directed to dear away the hard mud which filled a recess of about 3ft wide and sft deep in the side wall of the passage.

It was a task by no means calculated to inspire expectations, but a few applications of the pick brought to light about lib weight of tubular beads of gold. Upon that cubic yai'd of mud the energies of the explorers were, then directed with glowing hopes, and for five days the dissection and sifting of the material went on, disclosing treasure after treasure, beginning with a diadem, and including armlets, necklaces, pendants,. and vases —a mass of treasure of priceless historic value, quite apart from intrinsic worth. Now comes in the element of mystery. All these valuables were in a place almost brushed by the garments of those ancient robbers who broke into the sarcophagus, yet they had remained untouched. There was no evidence that they had been taken from the sarcophagus and placed in the recess, hut all signs pointed to the recess having been their original resting place, and to their caskets of rotted

away. The heart of Bill Sykes would have been sore at the sight. “There never was a more astounding case of missing the obvious,” says Professor Petrie.

Some of these* valuables are now in the Cairo Museum, claimed by_ the Egyptian Government; the rest are in England. Many fine pieces of sculpture were discovered, particularly interesting being those showing live ducks, and others lying upon the offering tables. Whereas the former Avere depicted with necks supple with movement,' and eyes vivid with fear, the latter were represented with drooping necks and contracted eyes, showing clearly that distinct efforts were being made in those times to give artistic interpretation of the actualities, rather than depend on the mere perfunctory copy of - objects. Two bowls and a tall stand were found in the pyramid, which Avere the first unmistakable evidence that such bowls and stands were the lamps used at that period. Each bowl still contained* charred wick Avithin it, Avhilst the grooves proved the presence of water at some time to preA r ent the absorption of oil. - Professor Petrie gave an illustration of a granite sarcophagus which had been attacked, an opening made in the lid, and everything abstracted. A small recess near .by, which had in some strange way escaped the attention of the plunderers, Avas found to contain valuable treasures. The main item was a band of burnished gold over an inch Avide, with an inlaid cobra in front, and 15 rosettes, each composed of four floAvers and four leaves of open work. Behind the crown were high plumes of gold, and at the back and sides gold streamers. A pectoral of gold inlaid Avith lazuli and green felspar was the second important object. It has the cartouche of Senusert 11, and is flanked by a haAvk on each side. There was also a mirror of silver with 7 a head of Hat-hor of cast gold, of exquisite AVorkmanship and design. In addition there were collars of large gold coAvries and double lion heads in gold and others, composed of beads and pendants of gold, lazuli, and cornelian. Armlets,- bracelets, .necklaces with lion cIaAV pendants, gold lions, inlaid scarabs of choice workmanship, and canopic jars of alabaster were other of the treasures which formed so unique a collection.