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

404 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
apparent. We therefore look naturally for further details.
But our search is unsuccessful. The notes before us contain
nothing beyond what I have stated and the remark
that " the skeleton is by no means complete ; even parts
of the skull have decayed."
At about the same level (" two feet below the pavement "
mentioned), but evidently at another locality, Haynes
reached another " bed of mingled light gray ashes and earth
not less than 9 feet in diameter and perhaps 8 inches in
extreme depth." It contained two seal cylinders, 1 one gold
bead, one badly corroded silver bead, two hundred stone
beads, " chiefly of a dull gray slate color, quite in contrast
to the more highly colored beads of agate, jasper, etc., generallv
found in these mounds," and six finger-rings made
of several silver wires each about
ys
of an inch in diameter.
Our interest is roused again by a label accompanying a
photograph. It reads : "A large covered jar set in a dais
Naram-Sin's pavement." We ask at once : Was
of brick-work. Its top is four feet below the level of
there anything
in it to show its purpose — ashes, earth, deposits of
some kind ? The veil drops ; we hear nothing more about
it. From the same stratum we have " a perfect and well
wrought copper nail, 1
3^ inches long," and the fragment
of a copper knife [or sword?], 4% inches long and
1 5/, 6 inches wide. "Five archaic tablets" are also reported
to have been found " not less than four feet below
the level of the same pavement." They are " rudely
fashioned, and appear to be inscribed with numbers only represented
by straight and curved lines in groups of two, three,
nine, and ten. In one instance a column of nine curved
marks made by the thumb nail is flanked on either side by a
1
One in bone. "It is deeply and rather rudely engraved with two large
birds standing upright with outstretched wings.*' " Between the birds is an
unknown animal form."