Mr. Fisher has called attention in the article already mentioned to the peculiar nature of Babylonian mounds, washed into gullies by the rains and built upon at all sorts of odd levels. The Court of Columns itself lay near the surface, on the side of the hill, where the rains had washed away the upper strata, or such of them as had ever existed. Here the stratification was of little assistance. Immediately to the westward of this court, however, the hill rose rapidly, so that between the surface of the hill and the floor level of the greater part of the building there was an accumulation of thirty-seven feet of débris, with a very distinct and unmistakable stratification. It was only a very small part of the building, then, which, by the accident of gullying, had been brought close to the surface. The actual stratification, with three successive pavements and all the evidences of a long period of occupancy resulting in the accumulation of thirty-seven feet of débris, was found over far the greater part of this building. Now, while it is always possible that through some disturbance of the surface later remains may find their way down into earlier strata, it is not possible that a whole building could in any way be pushed under later strata. But this is what must be supposed to have taken place here if Professor Hilprecht's and Professor Marquand's theory be accepted. I am keenly alive to the peculiarly Hellenistic character of the Court of Columns which we found in our first expedition and also to the fact that the building as a whole is for Babylonia quite sui generis. As to the cause of this, I am, in the present condition of our knowledge of Babylonian architecture, frankly agnostic. I cannot, however, escape the conclusion that the building is to be dated, on the clear evidence of the excavations, approximately as I dated it. ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH, NEW YORK, JOHN P. PETERS. Theodore Woolsey beermance Born, March 22, 1872 A.B., YALE UNIVERSITY, 1893; PH.D., ibid., 1898 MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL STUDIES AT ATHENS (HOLDER OF THE SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP OF YALE UNIVERSITY) 1894-96 TUTOR IN YALE UNIVERSITY 1896-99 INSTRUCTOR IN CLASSICAL ARCHAEOLOGY AT YALE UNIVERSITY 1899-1902 SECRETARY OF THE SCHOOL AT ATHENS 1902-03 DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL AT ATHENS FROM 1903 UNTIL HIS DEATH Died, September 29, 1905 1905 January-June ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCUSSIONS1 SUMMARIES OF ORIGINAL ARTICLES CHIEFLY IN CURRENT PERIODICALS HAROLD N. FOWLER, Editor GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS Origin of the Alphabet. —In Am. Ant. May, 1905, pp. 128-130, H. PROCTOR disputes the theory of the Egyptian origin of the so-called Phoenician alphabet and agrees with Petrie that it was developed out of a large body of material that was used in prehistoric times around the shores of the Mediterranean. He also claims that the square Hebrew character was not developed out of the Phoenician character, but was an independent sacred alphabet that existed from the earliest times. In S. Bibl. Arch. 1905, pp. 65-68, in continuation of an article, ibid. 1904, p. 168, E. G. PILCHER attempts to show that the letters of the so-called Phoenician alphabet have arisen out of geometrical combinations of lines and angles, and that the order of the alphabet is due to an arrangement of similar letters in groups. The Elamic Language. In Orient. Litt. Zeitung, May, 1905, col. 184, F. BORK discusses the peculiarities of the language of the second column of the tri-lingual inscription from Persepolis, and shows that many of these peculiarities are found also in dialects of the Caucasus, particularly the Caxurish. Certain of these peculiarities are found in Mitanni and in Artsapi, whence he infers that there is an affinity between the Elamic and the Hittite dialects. Ibid. February, 1905, cols. 50-54, G. HUSING calls attention to a peculiarity of the Elamic language in accordance with which a different possessive pronoun is used in connection with things from that which is used in connection with persons. Ibid. April, 1905, cols. 133-135, 1 The departments of Archaeological News and Discussions and of Bibliography are conducted by Professor FOWLER, Editor-in-charge, assisted by Miss MARY H. BUCKINGHAM, Professor HARRY E. BURTON, Mr. HAROLD R. HASTINGS, Professor ELMER T. MERRILL, Professor FRANK G. MOORE, Mr. CHARLES R. MOREY, Professor LEWIS B. PATON, and the Editors, especially Professor MARQUAND. No attempt is made to include in this number of the JOURNAL material published after June 30, 1905. For an explanation of the abbreviations, see pp. 145, 146. G. HUSING gives a corrected form of the inscription of the Elamite king Hallutush-Inshushinak II. Ancient Helmets. The helmets in the Berlin Museums, largely from the recently acquired Lippeheide collection, are described by B. SCHRÖDER in Arch. Anz. 1905, pp. 15–30 (19 figs., showing 50 examples). There are various styles of Corinthian, Chalcidian, Hellenistic, barbarian, and Italian helmets, both plain and decorated, some made for practical use, and some for show, most of them hammered, but some cast. The Greek varieties are all derived from the metal pot, while the Italian and barbarian types starting with the Villanova stage, which is evidently of Mycenaean parentage, are from felt or leather hats. Among the curiosities are a huge gilded showhelmet found in Lake Nemi, with a griffin-top derived from the Phrygian cap, and a gladiator's headpiece with grated front and sun-bonnet rim. Various devices for fastening the plume or crest and the lining are shown. All the specimens are of bronze except two Gallic iron caps. Ancient Artillery. — In Berl. Phil. W. February 11, 1905, R. Schneider discusses reconstructions of ancient artillery (Euthytonon, Palintonon, Onager) made by Major E. Schramm. Trials proved the efficiency of these engines. The work of Rüstow and Köchly is criticised. The relief in the Vatican (Amelung, Die Skulpturen des Vatikanischen Museums, I, 258) is the only ancient representation of a shooting machine which really adds to our knowledge. Ancient Couches and Beds. An elaborate dissertation on ancient beds and couches (Studies in Ancient Furniture, Couches and Beds of the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans, by CAROLINE L. RANSOM, Chicago, 1905, University of Chicago Press, 128 pp.; 30 pls.; 60 figs.; 4to; $1.50), with indexes and bibliography, has been produced by Miss Caroline L. Ransom. The styles of couches from the earliest times to the fourth century after Christ are discussed from the evidence furnished by extant specimens and representations in stone, terra-cotta, and paintings. Early beds had turned or rectangular legs, but no head boards. The style with curved head boards (and foot boards), popular in Athens in the fifth century B.C., was usual in Roman times. The materials, methods, and centres of manufacture, interlaced filling of couch frames, furnishings of couches, such as pillows, mattresses, and draperies, and the style of ornamentation are discussed and illustrated with great attention to chronological development. There seems to have been little or no difference between couches for sleeping and couches for eating or other uses in the daytime. Studies of Calendars. — In Jh. Oesterr. Arch. I. VIII, 1905, pp. 87–118 (4 figs.), W. KUBITSCHEK discusses with much detail a number of calendars in use in Roman times. The era of Eleutheropolis dates from 200 a.d. The Arabic calendar was introduced at Eleutheropolis before that date. The inscription published in R. Bibl. 1903, p. 427, 4, is dated by the calendar of Gaza. The mosaic from the church of St. Christopher at Kabr Hiram, now in the Louvre, is discussed at length and the months, seasons, and winds there represented are arranged in proper order. The year began with the month Dios. The Pamphylian year also began with the first of Dios. The Paphian calendar was practically identical with the calendar adopted about 9 B.C., in proconsular Asia, while the Salaminian calendar was derived from that of Egypt, but the year began on a different day (September 4). The |