Surprise: Back to the Middle East!

It is most fitting, for me, that the very next National Geographic Magazine article in the October, 1930 issue, brings me back to that area of the world which I set foot in, only several weeks ago.  Mr. F.A. Schaeffer writes of his archeological discoveries in the country of Syria in "A New Alphabet of the Ancients is Unearthed: An Inconspicuous Mound in Northern Syria Yields Archeological Treasures of Far-reaching Significance."

Present-day Israel had not yet been conceived as a country when this expedition took place.  I could almost feel the blistering, dry heat as the author packed up his treasures to be shipped to France.  Israel is south of Syria, on the extreme east of the Mediterranean Sea.  The land in Syria appears to look very similar in the magazine photos.  Syria is south of Turkey, north of Lebanon and Palestine.

Shore of the Sea of Galilee, Israel, October, 2013, southeast of Syria.

Mr. Shaeffer journeyed to the region of Syria then called "Alaouites region" to pursue what he heard might be a good 'dig' for objects of antiquities.  He started on the trip in March, 1929, with baggage camels, horses, and donkeys.  His party camped in tents.  He was backed financially by the Institut de France in Paris.  Any important objects found would be sent to their museum in Paris.

As he passed through the villages on his way to the coast of Syria, the author noted the native culture and habitats.  Apparently, the women did most of the work, "are treated like beasts of burden, and excluded from religious rite" yet "they appear contented with their lot" (photo caption, p. 485).  He noticed that the women were mixing animal manure with straw and forming cakes with their bare hands for fuel to be used in winter.  He concluded, "I soon discontinued my study of the fuel of the Alaouites for the odor was unbearable" (p. 485).

Since there was no timber, the native citizens made their homes from mud bricks, in the shape of beehives.

Mr. Shaeffer was alerted to the place to begin by a previous native find of an ancient grave.  Work was begun there.  The scientist did not expect to find objects of great value due to the ever-present grave robbers, both of antiquity and modern origin.  He found much pottery. 

Then he explored the nearby hills and took a chance on the king's palace being on the highest hill.  He was soon rewarded by finding two tombs of kings, 3,500 years old.  Yes, of course, the tombs had been robbed but among the discarded pottery were found amazing tablets.  "In a room divided by three pillars we came upon a large number of clay tablets covered with cuneiform text.  We had found the palace library!  These writings promise to reveal most valuable information concerning the history of the ancient Near East" . . . one of the oldest known alphabets" (p. 510).

Mr. Schaeffer further explains, "Many scholars have praised the Phoenicians as the inventors of the alphabet.  Our discovery indicates, however, that long before the Phoenicians, the Kings of Ras Shamra used a genuine alphsbetical script for their diplomatic correspondence" (p. 512).

Further back in the diggings were found other objects robbers had missed: pottery, gold and bronze objects, some jewel-covered, and a group of 74 bronze tools.  Finally, in June, due to the unbearable heat, and also that the "Bandits were active near the boundary (between Syria and Turkey) and had killed a French archeologist who resisted robbery" (p. 515), Mr. Shaeffer packed up his prizes and put them on a ship bound for France.  These expeditions seem to always be packed with adventure!