THE TOMBS OF KINGS.

Shannon News, 23 March 1923, Page 4

THE TOMBS OF KINGS.

RAVAGES OF ROBBERS.

THE LUXOR DISCOVERIES,

The popular interest in Egyptology since Lord Carnarvon’s discovery was reflected iii the eagerness shown to hear Professor W. M. Flinders Petrie at University College, when he gave an interesting lecture on “Royal Burials in Egypt,” and discussed the tomb of Tutankhamun 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 h;yl 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 doubtful benefit and a museum a perilous place.

Speaking of the disposal of the relics from Tutanhajnun’s tumb, Professor Petrie said he hoped it would be possible to preserve these very frail and beautiful things in the dry air of Thebes an a proper museum specially prepared for them. This would be 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 in' 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 oetween the ancient Egyptian ideas and those which - still persisted in West Africa, such -as the- worship of the spirit of the ancestor king, 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 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 pyra. mid the only relic of a king was an inlaid gold serpent which Professor Pe 7 tre 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. SECURITY IN FUTURE LIFE. The excavation of these long - pas. sages through the solid rock to the tombs was a remarkable matter. A thousand cubic yards of rock had to be removed to make the tomb of Seti

THE LAST OF HIS LINE. Professor Petrie shoAved the death mask of Akhenaten., who moved the capital to Tel-el-Amarna. The religious revolution of this king', Avho worshipik'V. .on, the disk of tlie sun, was tue greatest step,ever made by the human mind in contrast with its surroundings, lie had the purely scientific of the sun as the source of human energy. It AA r as not until almost living memory that such a stage of _ thought ' Avas reached again the thought that the radiant energy of the sun Avas the source of all action. Egypt afterwards fell back on me old worcountrv, " and Tutenkhamun —“Amen ships. *Thfe high priests dominated me being the name of the ancient god of Thebes. , , A . Tutenkhamun Avas th<v last lung ot his line. There Avas no dSleet heir, and this- accounted for the extraordinary profusion of fine furniture found by Mi*. Carter. It AAhis no simple burial and the furniture Avas. not the funeral equipage of the king. It was a col. lection of all the fine things from the palace Avhicli there was no heir to inherit. Rather than allow the priest or general Avho succeeded Tutenkhamun to inherit the pride of life of the king', all his possessions Avere buried Avith him. For this reason Professor Petrie thought it would be found that some of the furniture Avas of much earlier periods than that of Tutenkha. mun.

1., and the Avails smoothed and prepared for sculpture. The tomb of Seti I. contained 2000 square yards of carving and painting. ♦ Discussing the theological ideas illustrated in- the tombs. Professor Pet. Hie; ishowed itha.t the Arrangements Avere designed to give the king security in jiis future life. When the king died the palace was closed, parties of men and women roamed in the streets singing dirges Avhile the mighty king lay helpless in the hands of the embalmer. It Avas said: “ The falcon'lias floAvn to heaven.” A fascinating ac. count was gi\ r en of the elaborate ritual of the funeral, one point being that, as the tomb pictures show,- a group of Availing women circled slowly round the mummy—just as the Egypt, ian women do to this day at a funeral.