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

DURING 19 CENTURY: ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 283
February 26, those at El-Hibba from March 29 to May
II, 1887. But in addition to this principal work in Southern
Babylonia, the expedition occupied itself with the purchase
of antiquities and the examination of other mounds
in 'Iraq el-'Arabi, with a view to determine some of the more
promising sites
for future exploration.
It soon became evident to the German party that a thorough
examination of the enormous ruins was far beyond
the time and means at their disposal. Under these circumstances
it was decided to confine themselves to ascertaining
the general contents of the most conspicuous elevations
by means of long trial trenches. When remains of buildings
were struck, their walls were followed to discover the
ground-plans, while the interior of the chambers was searched
for archaeological objects. Deep wells constructed of terracotta
rings, which abound in both ruins, were, as a rule,
exposed on one side in their entire length in order to be photographed
before they were opened. The results obtained
from the different cuttings in the two sites were on the whole
identical. The explorers found a large number of houses
irregularly built of unbaked bricks, and intersected by long,
narrow streets, which rarely were more than three feet wide.
These edifices formed a very respectable settlement at El-
Hibba, where the passageways between them extended fully
two miles and a half. As to size and arrangement the
buildings varied considerably, some containing only a few
rooms, others occupying a large space, — in one instance
a house covering an area of 72^ feet by nearly 51 feet,
and containing 14 chambers and halls. The walls of most
of these constructions had crumbled so much that generally
their lower parts, often only their foundations, remained,
which could be traced without difficulty after an
especially heavy dew or an exceptional shower. Characteristic
of many of these houses are the wells mentioned above,
which, according to Koldewey's erroneous view, doubtless