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

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

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!<br />

DURING 19 CENTURY: ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 403<br />

pavement. Haynes' idea is that all <strong>the</strong>se vases — and he<br />

excavated no less<br />

than fifteen at one place with<strong>in</strong> a comparatively<br />

small<br />

radius — served "for <strong>the</strong> ablutions of <strong>the</strong> pilgrims,"<br />

while some of <strong>the</strong> dra<strong>in</strong>s he regards as ur<strong>in</strong>als and<br />

<strong>the</strong> like. To what <strong>in</strong>ferences are we driven by his reports<br />

The entire sacred prec<strong>in</strong>ct of <strong>the</strong> earliest ziggurrat of Bel<br />

one huge lavatory and water-closet situated from n<strong>in</strong>e to<br />

twenty feet below <strong>the</strong> ancient level of <strong>the</strong> pla<strong>in</strong> !<br />

A few additional facts which I have been able to ga<strong>the</strong>r<br />

after much toil from his reports and descriptions of photographs<br />

may follow as an attempt on my part to complete<br />

<strong>the</strong> strange picture of <strong>the</strong>se lowest excavations. They have<br />

been arranged accord<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> levels given by Haynes. Yet<br />

be it understood expressly that <strong>the</strong> present writer cannot<br />

always be held responsible for <strong>the</strong> correctness of <strong>the</strong> recorded<br />

observations. A little below <strong>the</strong> pavement of Naram-S<strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong>re seems to have<br />

been " a very large<br />

bed of black [and<br />

gray] ashes of unknown<br />

extent, vary<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>in</strong> depth from i<br />

to 1% feet." The<br />

next objects below<br />

this which attracted<br />

Haynes' attention are<br />

" a fragment of unbaked<br />

clay bear<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>the</strong> impression of a<br />

large seal cyl<strong>in</strong>der,<br />

and a large vase, i feet<br />

8 <strong>in</strong>ches <strong>in</strong> height,<br />

Pre-Sargonic Clay Tablet<br />

which conta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>the</strong> skeleton of a child, several animal<br />

bones, and small vases." The importance of this unique<br />

f<strong>in</strong>d as <strong>the</strong> first sure example of a pre-Sargonic burial is

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