Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

82 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
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Wall Decoration in Enamelled Tiles, Khorsabad
predecessor, and successfully extended even to the walls of
the town. In these outlying mounds he unearthed four
simple and three very fine gates, flanked bv large winged
bulls and other sculptures, and their arches most beautifully
decorated with friezes of blue and white enamelled tiles
representing winged genii and animals, plants and rosettes,
in excellent design and execution. At the angle ! formed
by two of the walls of the palace he made an especially valuable
discovery in the form of an inscribed box serving as
corner-stone, and containing seven tablets of different size,
in gold, silver, copper, lead, lapis lazuli, magnesite, and limestone.
They all bore identical cuneiform records pertaining
to the history of these buildings.
It was not always very easy for Place to trace the rooms
of the " harem " and the other smaller structures, as no
sculptures like those discovered by Botta had adorned their
walls and sustained the crumbling mass of unbaked bricks.
But gradually his eyes became sharpened and were able to
distinguish the faint outlines of walls from the surrounding
earth and rubbish. Though his excavations did not yield
1
Comp. Oppert, Expedition en Mesopotamie, vol. i., p. 349, note 2.