PHARAOH’S HOUSE.
It is but a month or two ago that people of an archæological turn of mind were delighted with the tidings sent home by the Egypt Exploration Fund of the discovery of Pharaoh’s House in Tahpanhes. An account of the wonderful old ruin and its reliques of a past civilisation has been already given; but it may interest many to know that a number of antiquities have been collected and sent home, and have recently been on view at the Archæological Institute at Oxford Mansion. It will be remembered that the ruins were as much those of a military fortress as of a royal residence, and the objects recovered are almost entirely those which would be likely to be found in either of two such places.
The first things of interest are the foundation deposits, from under the four corners of the castle, which consist of small vessels, little tablets engraved with the name and titles of the royal founder, Psammetichus I., specimens of ore, &c. The chief articles of jewelry are earrings, rings, amulets, and engraved stones bearing traces of Greek workmanship, having been probably manufactured by Greek jewellers in the town of Tahpanhes, or Daphnæ. Numbers of small weights have been turned up while digging among the ruins, which it is thought were for weighing the gold and precious stones previous to purchase.
Rome, too, has left her mark among the charred remains of this ancient stronghold, and some rings with names inscribed upon them, and ten gems of good Roman work, prove an intercourse with that nation. There is a little silver shrine case in which is a beautiful statuette of the Egyptian war-god, Mentu. Possibly, it may have once been a talisman belonging to Pharaoh Hophra. A silver ram’s head and gold handle complete the list of the most important specimens of jewelry.
Among the domestic treasures are a long knife, fourteen inches long and quite flat; this comes from Pharaoh’s kitchen; so also do the small frying-pans, and some bowls, bottles, dishes, plates and cups, all of which date from B.C. 550, and were probably used daily by the royal household. An old brasier and some ring-stands have also been brought home. From the butler’s pantry come amphoræ stoppers, stamped with the cartouches of Psammetichus I., Necho, Psammetichus II., and Aahmes. These were clay stoppers, sealed by the inspector, and then plastered over and stamped with the royal oval. Ten specimens of these Mr Petrie has sent home. Arrow-heads, a sword-handle and part of the blade, a horse’s bit of twisted pattern, some spikes from the top of a Sardinian mercenary’s helmet, knives and lances, and some fragments of scale-armour, show that the old castle had once been a military stronghold.
This is but an outline, showing the kind of specimens found among the ruins of El Kasr el Bint el Yahudî (the Castle of the Jew’s Daughter), and serve to add to the innumerable proofs—if proof were needed—of the advanced civilisation of the ancient Egyptians. It is believed that those antiquities will eventually be divided between the Museum at Boulak (Cairo), the British Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts at Boston, U.S., and several of the provincial museums of Great Britain.