The discovery and decipherment of the trilingual cuneiform inscriptionsBooth, Arthur John
History
The discovery and decipherment of the trilingual cuneiform inscriptions
Booth, Arthur John
Achaemenian inscriptions; Cuneiform inscriptions
They include two general views upon a large scale. In the first a few
inaccuracies detract somewhat from its value. We observe birds of a
highly imaginative design perched upon the columns of the Porch; but
whether they are designed to represent portions of the capital, or
merely temporary visitors, does not appear. The sculptured stairs are
incorrectly represented, showing only a single ascent, and without the
projecting flight in the centre—a deficiency removed in the description
given in the text. The columns are massed too closely together; the
Palace of Darius is placed on the south-west extremity of the platform,
in the position that should be left vacant for the Palace of Ochus;
and the stairs appear on the north instead of on the south side of the
Palace. On the other hand, we find the Hall of the Hundred Columns
correctly placed for the first time on the same elevation as the Porch.
The second view is more valuable. It is taken from about the same place
as Niebuhr subsequently selected. The eye first rests upon the Hall of
the Hundred Columns with the cistern and entrance porch to the right.
Looking southwards, the Columnar Edifice is seen to occupy a prominent
position, and beyond it lies the Palace of Darius, standing upon its own
terrace, but, by an unaccountable error, with the façade turned to the
east instead of the south. It appears unduly cramped between the columns
and the Palace of Xerxes, which rises upon its terrace at an apparent
elevation considerably higher than that of Darius. The double stairs
leading to it on the east, and the straight flight down to the southern
terrace are given. Under the hill we see a tolerable representation of
the south-east edifice, and as we turn back to the Hall of the Hundred
Columns we observe a poor representation of the Central Edifice. There
is a tendency to represent the ruins in too perfect a condition: the
lower portion of the massive piers at the entrance have the appearance
of being intact; the eastern stairs of Xerxes are also represented as
far too well preserved, and the artist has entirely omitted the great
mound opposite the Central Edifice. Apart from these defects, the
drawing gives an intelligent design of the place, and it will enable
the reader to recover from the nightmare into which he may have fallen
after reading the account of Thévenot, and even the description of
Chardin himself. The other plates are devoted to separate drawings of
the more remarkable objects. One (Plate 54) makes the first attempt to
reduce the platform to scale; but the buildings are not indicated upon
it. Another gives the Great Staircase (Plate 55); two are devoted to the
Porch (Plates 56 and 57); two to the Sculptured Stairs (Plates 58 and
59); two to the Columns of the Hall of Xerxes (Plates 60 and 61). The
bas-reliefs are treated with special attention. Besides those on the
Porch and the Sculptured Stairs, we are shown the King walking beneath
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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