Curious Discoveries in Egypt

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 427, 11 December 1889, Page 3

Curious Discoveries in Egypt

Mr Flinders PiiTrie, the Egyptian explorer, has recently exhibited in London his latest discoveries in the Fayum. An account of the collection appeared in the 'Times' and in the 'Illustrated News.' Atnong&t the things not mentioned was a remarkably well-preservedmummied baby's head. This stood under a glass case in a room which contained "the relics from the ancient City of Kahun. The relics, including the face, dated 2,600 b.c. Its appearance was that of a small brown mask. The skull had broken away, the back of the head being hollow ; but the round contour of the cheeks, the tiny nose, and' soft, open mouth of an infant were perfectly preserved — a touching: memento '■■of some most ancient mother's griaf an'd affection. By the side were a number of rough boxes with lids and hinges, in" which child mummies had been discovered, together with their tops and other playthings. Apropos ot baby mummies; it appears that Egyptian human nature was very much the same as human nature is now, that men there, as elsewhere, were ' deceivers,' arid much in need of Acts against adulteration and fraud. Mummy-making was one of the most important trades of the time. Life amongst the ancienfi Egyptians was one long preparation for :dei*th ; the tomb, and not the house, bemgf the important residence. And the mummymakers traded on this. Their craft was lucrative, but then ifr was tiresome ; they had ' dull times,' and times of too much pressure. Had "'there .. nob been a little manoeuvring, good* orcfera mighfa have lapsed through want" of leisure bo execute them properly. To provide against this, and ' especially to ensure reaping the highest possible profit from children's epidemics, the inummy-makera kept a secret stock of baby mummies, which, when a proper season had elapsed after the death of the infant, they presented to the mourning parents, and which was ! doubtless carried to the tomb with due ceremony. . Many of these stock mummies has Mr Petrie unwrapped, to find at the end a log of wood for the ' body, and any, sort of rubbish for the head, but all most skilfully bandaged and moulded 'into the semblance of an infant's mummied form. What became of the real little body does not appear.. Possibly those ancient deceivers, in defiance of law and religion, anticipated cremation. Mr Petrie left London for his , autumn campaign in Egypt on Thursday, 26th September. His time will not, however, this season be entirely devoted- to' 'Egypt, as he intends to extend his researches to Palestine. Formerly ho worked for the Egyptian Exploration Society, but for the last two years his discoveries have been pursued independently, and the results have been marvellous. He has in two seasons explored a pyramid, discovered two cities, and incidentally brought to light most interesting archaeological and historical facts. The collection recently exhibited — after the Egyptian" Government had made a selection for its museums — belongs to himself and two other gentlemen. One of these gentlemen was alsb the possessor of the famous throne of Queen Hatashu, which he exhibited in the Manchester Exhibition of last year, and which he afterwards presented to the British Museum. He has also in his possession, the scarab of that Queen — a jewel dating ahout 2,000 B.C. It is a sharply-cut stone an exquisite bluish green colour, and has the name and titles of the Queen inscribed. Talking of scarabs, Mr Petrie has acquired great facility in their reproduction with pen and ink or pencil. He has a manuscript book full of sketches of them, and these are so inimitably done that they appear as actual impressions on the paper. He works at them with great rapidity, chatting all the time. These curious seallike stones, with their hieroglyphic inscriptions, appear as mere oddities to the uninitiated, but under the explorer's explanation they unfold into suggestive bits of history and life and of most poetic fancy. In person Mr Petrie i 3 of a good, height and rather slender build. His hair and colouring generally is dark — so dark that he is easily mistaken for a foreigner, which impression is aided by his singularly Eastern cast of features. But he is English and of Scotch descent. The mode .of life he prefers is life in a tent with the sand for carpet. And amongst many pleasant characteristics, one ot his pleasantest is his faith in and affection for the Ai'abs, whose cause he warmly espouses in conversation, and with whom he lives on the friendliest terms.