Manners and Monuments of Prehistoric Peoples Part 25

[251] -- Egyptologists tell us that in the fourth year of the reign of Ramses II., or about 1406 B.C., the Hitt.i.tes placed themselves at the head of a coalition against the Egyptian Pharaoh. With these Hitt.i.tes, or Khittas, whose descendants still dwell in the north of Syria, were the Mysians, the Lycians, the Dardanians, and other tribes.

[252] -- "Amerique Prehistorique" (Ma.s.son), translated by Nancy Bell (N. D'Anvers), and published by Murray, London; Putnam, New York.

[253] -- "Troy and its Remains," plate ix. See also excellent essay on the same subject by S. Reinach, which appeared in the REVUE ARCHEOLOGIQUE in 1885. Later investigations by Dr. Schliemann also brought to light a remarkable resemblance between the buildings at Hissarlik and those of Tiryns.

[254] -- The British Museum contains a ma.n.u.script of the fourteenth century, in which is a letter from Julian, written when he was emperor, between 361 and 363 A.D., and relating to his visit to Ilium.

[255] -- The potter's wheel was, however, in use at a very remote antiquity. In China its invention is attributed to the legendary Emperor Hw.a.n.g-Ti, who is supposed to have lived about 2697 B.C. The wheel was also known from the very earliest times in Egypt, and Homer (Iliad, c. xviii., v. 599) compares the light motions of the dancers represented on the shield of Achilles to the rapid rotation of the potter's wheel.

[256] -- Rivett-Carnac: "Memorandum on Clay Discs Called Spindle Whorls and Votive Seals Found at Sankisa" (Behar), JOURNAL ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL, vol. xlix., p. 1.

[257] -- "De Sacris AEdificiis," ch. ix., p. 128.

[258] -- It is interesting to note the discovery of urns closely resembling those of Troy, and containing human remains, in Persia (Sir W. Ouseley: "Travels in Persia"), and at Travancore, in the south of Malabar, where, according to tradition, they were intended to receive the remains of young virgins sacrificed in honor of the G.o.ds. -- "Some Vestiges of Girl Sacrifices," JOURN. ANTH. INST., May, 1882.

[259] -- The v.u.l.v.a was sometimes represented by a large triangle. The same peculiarity occurs on some black marble statuettes, found in the tombs of the Cyclades and Attica. Three such statuettes from the island of Paros are in the Louvre, and the British Museum owns a rich collection. Dr. Schliemann also mentions a female idol made in lead of very coa.r.s.e workmanship, in which the s.e.xual organs are represented by a double cross.

[260] -- The PHALLUS was, as we have already stated, the symbol of generative force. Its worship extended throughout India and Syria; a gigantic Phallus adorned the temple of the mother of the G.o.ds at Hierapolis, and it was carried in triumph in processions through Egypt and Greece. It is still worshipped in some places at the present day. Near Niombo, in Africa, there is a temple containing several phallic statues; at Stanley-Pool the fete of the PHALLUS is celebrated with obscene rites. The Kroomen observe similar ceremonies at the time of the new moon, and in j.a.pan on certain fete clays young girls flourish gigantic PHALLI at the end of long poles. The PHALLUS is also often represented on the monuments of Central America -- on the stones of the temples of Izamal and the island of Zapatero, for instance. Possibly the worship of the productive and generative forces of nature was the earliest religion of many primitive peoples, but all that is said on the subject must be sifted with considerable care.

[261] -- Similar hatchets of pure copper (Fig. 2) have been found in Hungary, and Butler ("Prehistoric Wisconsin") speaks of them also as being found in North America.

[262] -- The tin used is making bronze probably came from Spain or Cornwall, perhaps also from the Caucasus, where small quant.i.ties of it are still found. It was doubtless imported by the Phoenicians, the great navigators of antiquity. See Rudolf Virchow's "Das Gruberfeld Von Koban im Laude der Osseten," Berlin, 1883.

[263] -- This idea gains probability from the fact that the remains of a key were picked up near the treasure, which we have reason to suppose belonged to Priam.

[264] -- The gold may have come from the mines of Astyra, not far from Troy.

[265] -- Electrum was the ancient name for amber, but was also given to an alloy of gold and silver, the yellow color of which resembles that of amber.

[266] -- Dr. Schliemann gives a very careful description of all these objects. See "Troy and its Remains," Figs. 174 to 497, pp. 260 to 353.

[267] -- The qr'hdemnon or diadem of the wife of Menelaus is a narrow fillet from which hang several little chains formed of links alternating with small leaves, and ending in rather larger leaves, these leaves all representing the woman with the owl's head, so characteristic of Trojan art. The golden objects are all soldered with the same metals, which modern goldsmiths seem unable to do. At Tiryns, which we believe to have been contemporary with Troy, the art of soldering was unknown, and ornaments were merely screwed together.

[268] -- Bastian, ZEITSCHRIFT DER BERLINER GESELLSCHAFT FUR ERDKUNDE, vol. xiii., plates 1 and 2.

[269] -- If we accept 1200 B.C. as the date of the Trojan war and the eighth century as that of the foundation of Ilium, the towns that succeeded each other on the hill of Hissarlik only lasted four centuries altogether.

[270] -- In the Vedas the word SWASTI is often used in the sense of happiness or good-fortune.

[271] -- Comte Goblet d'Auriella, BUL. ACAD. ROYALE DE BELGIQUE, 1889.

[272] -- G. Atkinson, CONGRES PREHISTORIQUE, Lisbon, 1880, p. 466.

[273] -- "Ages Prehistoriques en Espagne et Portugal," figs 410, 411, 412, p. 286.

[274] -- Aussland, 1883. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR MUSEOLOGIE AND ANTEQUATEN KUNDE, 1884. Musoeon, 1888 and 1889.

[275] -- Virchow, who visited the remains at Hissarlik, treats this idea as FURCHTBAREN UNSINN (ridiculous nonsense).

[276] -- The true name of this cave is the BETCHE AUX ROCHES. A very excellent essay on the subject was read by the explorers, MM. de Puydt and Lohest, in August, 1886, to the Historic Society of Belgium, and "Les Fouilles de Spy," by Dr. Collignon, published in the REVUE D'ANTHROPOLOGIE, 1887, may also be consulted. Excavations were also carried on in the same cave in 1879 by M. Bucquoy (BUL. SOC. ANTH. DE BELGIQUE, 1887). He distinguished five ossiferous levels and picked up some flints of the Mousterien type, and even some Ch.e.l.leen hatchets, to which he gave the name of coups DE POING. -- Fraipont and Lohest; "Recherches sur les Oss.e.m.e.nts Humains Decouvertes dans les Depots Quaternaires d'un grotte a Spy."

[277] -- We borrow these details from a valuable work by Cartailhac (MAL., 1886, p. 441; REV. D'ANTH., 1886, p. 448). The conclusions of our learned colleague are that we really know nothing of the funeral rites of the men of Ch.e.l.les and Moustier, and that it is to the Solutreen period that we must a.s.sign the first really authenticated tombs. Cartailhac's admirable book, "La France Prehistorique," p. 302, should also be consulted.

[278] -- "Ipui Antichi Sepolcri dell Italia."

[279] -- ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, vol. xxii.

[280] -- MATERIAUX, 1885, p. 299.

[281] -- This dolmen was carefully excavated by MM. Hahn and Millescamps, BUL. SOC. ANTH., 1883, p. 312.

[282] -- Riviere; CONGRES DES SCIENCES GEOGRAPHIQUES, Paris, 1878.

[283] -- ATTI DELLA R. ACAD. DEI LINCEI, 1879 -- 1880. Pigorini: BUL. DE PAL. ITALIANA, 1880, p. 33.

[284] -- SOC. ANTH. DE MUNICH, 1886.

[285] -- SOC. ANTH. DE LYON, 1889.

[286] -- "Histoire du Travail en Gaule," p. 24.

[287] -- Troyon: "De l' Att.i.tude Repliee dans la Sepulture Antique,"

REVUE ARCH., 1864.

[288] -- MATERIAUX, 1875, p. 327.

[289] -- A. Nicaise: MATERIAUX, 1880, p. 186.

[290] -- ARCH. PREHISTORIQUE, p. 178.

[291] -- CONGRES PREHISTORIQUE DE BRUXELLES, p. 299.

[292] -- BUL. SOC. ANTH., 1876, p. 191. Grad: NATURE, 1877, 1st week, p. 314.

[293] -- MEMORIE SULLE SCOPERTE PALEOETHNOLOGICHE DELLA CAMPAGNA ROMANA. Pigorini adds in his turn: "I CADAVERI ERANO ABITUALMENTE ADAGIATI SUL FIANCO SINISTRO, COL CRANIO APPOGIATO SULLA MANO SINISTRE E LE GINOCCHIA ALQUANTO PIEGATE IN GUISA CHE TAVOLTA SI TROVARONO LE TIBIE a.s.sAI PROSSIME ALLA Ca.s.sA TORACICA."

[294] -- Pallery: "Mon. Megalithiques de Mascara," BUL. SOC. ETHN., 1887.

[295] -- Bancroft: "The Native Races of the Pacific," vol. i., pp. 365, etc. Moreno: "Les Paraderos de la Patagonie," REV. D'ANTH., 1874.

[296] -- "Necropole de Colonna, prov. de Grosseto," R. ACAD. DEI LINCEI, Roma, 1885.

[297] -- BUL. SOC. ANTH., 1880, p. 895.

[298] -- Abbe Baudry et Ballereau: "Les Puits Funeraires du Bernard,"

La Roche-sur-Yon, 1873.

[299] -- "Renseignements sur une Ancienne Necropole Manzabotta, pres de Bologna," Bologna, 1871.