of the empire established by Sargon, with its centre at Agade.  Later on excavations were carried to a lower level, and remains of buildings were discovered which appeared to belong to a still earlier period of civilization.  An altar was found standing in a small enclosure surrounded by a kind of curb.  Near by were two immense clay vases which appeared to have been placed on a ramp or inclined plane leading up to the altar, and remains were also found of a massive brick building in which was an arch of brick.  No inscriptions were actually found at this level, but in the upper level assigned to Sargon were a number of texts which might very probably be assigned to the pre-Sargonic period.  None of these were complete, and they had the appearance of having been intentionally broken into small fragments.  There was therefore something to be said for the theory that they might have been inscribed by the builders of the construction in the lowest levels of the mound, and that they were destroyed and scattered by some conqueror who had laid their city in ruins.

But all such evidence derived from noting the levels at which inscriptions are found is in its nature extremely uncertain and liable to many different interpretations, especially if the strata show signs of having been disturbed.  Where a pavement or building is still intact, with the inscribed bricks of the builder remaining in their original positions, conclusions may be confidently drawn with regard to the age of the building and its relative antiquity to the strata above and below it.  But the strata in the lowest levels at Nippur, as we have seen, were not in this condition, and such evidence as they furnished could only be accepted if confirmed by independent data.  Such confirmation was to be found by examination of the early inscriptions themselves.

It has been remarked that most of them were broken into small pieces, as though by some invader of the country; but this was not the case with certain gate-sockets and great blocks of diorite which were too hard and big to be easily broken.  Moreover, any conqueror of a city would be unlikely to spend time and labour in destroying materials which might be usefully employed in the construction of other buildings which he himself might erect.  Stone could not be obtained in the alluvial plains of Babylonia and had to be quarried in the mountains and brought great distances.

[Illustration:  188.jpg STONE GATE]

     Socket Bearing An Inscription of Uk-Engur, An Early King
     of The City Of Ur.  Photograph by Messrs. Mansell & Co.