TREASURES OF THE TOMB.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19880, 8 May 1936, Page 9

TREASURES OF THE TOMB.

FINDS IN EGYPT. jfIISTORY MUST BE RE-WRITTEN. LONDON, April 11. The complete re-writing of the earliest history of ancient Egypt will result from the discoveries made by Mr W. B. Emery in the ancient cemeterv around the Sakkara Step Pyramid, writes the Cairo correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. Eight years ago Mr Cecil Firth s find of this archaic cemetery, with Its chapel of fluted columns, _ antedating Doric columns, by some 1500 years, revolutionised the theory of early Egyptian and, indeed, of Greek architecture. Now comes Mr Emery’s discovery, •which is likely to have a great influence on the outlook bn this distant period, for there are three or four other crude brick masiabas, the long, low stone buildings, marking the site of a tomb, lying in a row to the north of this one and of the same type. In these may be brought to light further untouched storerooms, rich in treasures of early Egypt. Those so far recovered and described in my Tuesday’s message are but. part of what still lies uncleared in the storerooms under the sand and debris of centuries. Flints Like Razors. The existence has been revealed of an advanced state of art, which for so early a date as 3500 B.C. was never suspected. A feature, which is quite new at ihis period, are ropes which have been found. In one room there lay a perfect coil of three-ply rope, little thicker than a pencil, not of fibre but of flax of the finest texture, such as the best ropes used to-day on Nile vessels. Among the flints are some triangular tools like scrapers, of which the sharpest edges are as fine as used razors. Flint sacrificial knives are so sharp that some of them cut wood with ease. Most of the storerooms contain scores of .iars or stone vessels. Here, it is very interesting to note that each room Is * devoted to one particular article. In one was stored wine: in another fruit and vegetables: in a third meat and grain, and so forth. Each room had a complete, set of dishes, plates and cups used in connection with the particular jars deposited therein. Many fine sticks were placed in leather bags that lie perished in the sand. They have the appearance of golf-hags. Primitive Writing. The ivory labels and wooden tablet in Ihe tomb are regarded as being highly important. Botli have the names of the Vizier Hemaka, and the tablet, has also the name of King Zer. With the names} is writing of (lie most primitive form of hieroglyphics in use at that date. The crudity of the writing makes it difficult to decipher. But It is believed that each label will prove to record events of the king’s reign like those Sir Flinders Petrie found at Abydos. These objects, therefore, may yield valuable historical data of the period. Dr. Reisner recalls that Sir Flinders Petrie found the name Hemaka on the tablet of a tomb at Abydos, where Hemaka is recorded as being the Royal Sealer, or Lord Chancellor. Dr. Reisner adds that he based his history of the development of stonequarrying in Egypt largely upon the evidence of Hcmaka’s rock-cut burial chamber and the neighbouring tombs. The Hebaka burial-chamber contains the earliest known traces of coppertool marks on the walls. These marks were probably made hv copper adzes, such as were once attached to the huge adze handles found by Mr Emery. For weeks there will .be a daily voyage of adventure for Mr Emery and his staff, since they are working, so to speak, on virgin soil. Further remarkable finds are expected in lliese chambers, particularly if. as is hoped, the Egyptian Government now decides to give more attention to the Sakkara area.