“BOBBED-HAIR VENUS"

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 751, 26 August 1929, Page 11

“BOBBED-HAIR VENUS"

ANCIENT FINDS BY EGYPT EXPEDITION Further notable archaeological discoveries in Egypt by the Tell-en-Nasbeh expedition are revealed in an interesting letter received in Sydney from its director, Dr. William Frederick Bade, says the Sydney “Evening Post.” The letter, which was written from Ramallah on April 1, tells of the activities of the expedition since last February. “The main body of our expedition,” writes Dr. Bade, “arrived with equipment during the last days of February. Actual digging began on March 15, •with an Egyptian foreman, four trained Egyptian gang leaders, and about 20 local labourers. At present the entire gang numbers from 50 to 55, and the work is proceeding satisfactorily. “The first level uncovered shows a complex of houses and rooms, mainly from the early Iron Age, 1200-* 800 8.C., thus including the period from the time of Samuel to that of Isaiah. Underneath lie the remains of the late Bronze Age city, 1500-1200 8.C., which we hope to uncover next week. “Among significant structures found in the present level are: hewn wine press, in which, the vat, made to contain trodden-out grape juice, still shows the plaster on the sides; (2) a rock-hewn cistern, which, has not yet been excavated on account of the excessive moisture. The ' next bulletin will reveal its secrets, j if there are any; (3) under one of the; Israelite houses we found a deep silo | which had a false bottom under the first compartment, covered by a flat stoue. This contrivance, which was obviously intended to evade income tax demands, is the third of its kind found here. “Our finds thus far include two new Astarte heads of the ‘bobbed-hair Venus’ type; a unique jar handle, seal, with a flying eagle, and above it the inscription, ‘For the King’; and three other inscribed seals, which may throw further light on the Biblical aspects of the city’s history. “The very unusual success of our first two weeks of digging may be judged by the fact that already we have examined 151 baskets of pottery, have more than 200 drawings of ceramic and other forms in our files, | and 75 museum objects recorded and | on exhibit. “The arrival last Saturday of two I members of our staff completed the | expedition’s ranks, and we are ready j to carry on the work at full strength I throughout the season.”