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

422 EXPLOBATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
trenches which at various times he opened in the mounds
around the temple complex. Among the Parthian and
Sassanian graves in which the upper strata abound everywhere,
I mention particularly one containing " a very
Three Jars found at the Head of a Parthian Coffin. About 200 b. c.
high bath-tub coffin " and three jars placed around the
head. The latter were filled with as many beautiful small
alabaster bottles, a large
number of decayed pearls, precious
stones, necklaces, earrings, nose-rings, finger-rings, one inscribed
seal cylinder in red jasper still retaining its bronze
mounting, and
sixteen uninscribed ones, several scarabaei, a
pair of iron tweezers, and remains of linen and woolen
stuffs showing the structure and fibre of the fabrics, and
the white and dark-brown colors of the threads. Haynes
opened altogether six hundred graves in the different parts
of Nuffar, some of them very elaborate, most of them,
however, being slipper- and bath-tub-shaped coffins in
terra-cotta. Others were crude brick boxes ; many consisted
onlv of one or two urns greatly varying in size and