Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/522



Author:Samuel Birch communicated notices of some remarkable relics recently brought from Egypt by Lord Northampton, illustrated by drawings supplied by Mr. Bonomi. These ancient remains consist of a plinth, twenty inches in length, and a stud or knob of ebony, carved with hieroglyphics,—the former having been part of a wooden casket, of which the stud was the fastening. They possess considerable historical interest, as bearing the names of Amenophis III. and his daughter. Wherever the name of this king occurred on the monuments in Egypt, it has been effaced with the greatest care; and on the two relics described by Mr. Birch both his name and that of his daughter had been thus obliterated,—owing, as it is believed, to the religious animosity prevalent after his death between the Aten, or "disk" worshippers, and the votaries of the more ancient religion of Amnion. Mr. Birch also called the attention of archaeologists to these vestiges, as indicating that Amenophis III. associated with himself in the empire a princess, his daughter by the Queen Taia,—probably the princess called Amen-si. This fact in Egyptian history had been previously unascertained. These valuable objects have been presented to the British Museum by the Marquis of Northampton.

The Author:John Hiley Austen, of Langton Maltravers, Local Secretary in Dorset, sent the following particulars relating to early vestiges which exist in the Isle of Purbeck, hitherto very insufficiently examined.

"In July last, having obtained permission (which shortly after was withdrawn) to examine the tumuli situated in the neighbourhood of St. Alban's Head, in the Isle of Purbeck, I commenced with a small one nearest to the Head. Beginning at the top, I found it to be composed, to the depth of two feet, of stones, with earth firmly embedded. Scattered amongst these were a considerable quantity of small pieces of pottery, apparently British, and also of Kimmeridge coal, such as the "coal-money" is composed of. In fact, one of these broken pieces is a part of a piece of coal-money, and another appears to be a portion of an armlet, made of Kimmeridge coal, nearly half an inch in width. I found also in this part of the barrow a small piece of Samian ware, and five Roman coins, deposited together. Throughout this part of the barrow I found many shells of the limpet and the Helix Hortensis, with other land shells. I now came to a stratum of stones, packed together without any earth, to the depth of six inches. Beneath this were several skeletons, lying in the following order.—From the centre of the barrow, in the direction of S.S.E. to N.N.W., were set edgeways two large stones, each measuring about 3 feet by 2 feet, and 3 inches in thickness, forming a division wall (if I may so describe it) of from 6 to 7 feet in length. On the east side of this wall, and close to it,