'Narrative of a journey to the site of Babylon in 1811, now first published: memoir on the ruins; with engravings from the original sketches by the author: remarks on the topography of ancient Babylon, by Major Rennell; in reference to the memoir: second memoir on the ruins; in reference to Major Rennell's remarks: with narrative of a journey to Persepolis: now first printed, with hitherto unpublished cuneiform inscriptions copied at Persepolis: by the late Claudius James Rich, Esq., formerly the Resident of the Hon. East India Company at Bagdad. Edited by his widow.' [‎163] (251/474)

ruins of babylon. 163
the cuneiform character, only found in Babylon
and Persepolis, are all invariably placed in a similar
manner, viz., with their faces or written sides down
wards. This argues some design in placing them,
though what that might have been it is now impos
sible to say. It, however, proves sufficiently that
the buildings must have been erected when the bricks
were made, and the very ancient and peculiar form
of characters on them in use. When these bricks
are found in more modern constructions, as in Bagdad
and Hillah, they are of course placed indifferently,
without regard to the writing on them. In the
greatest depth in the excavations at the Kasr, at the
subterraneous passage or canal, I have myself found
small pieces of baked clay covered with cuneiform
writing, and sometimes with figures indisputably
Babylonian; these shall be described when I come
to speak of the Babylonian antiques. Had the ruins
been more recent than is here presumed, these in
scriptions would not have been found in this order
and manner, and Ave should in all probability have
found others in the character or language then in
use. Thus, had the town been Mahometan or Chris
tian, we might reasonably expect to meet with frag
ments of Coufic or Stranghelo. There is another
equally remarkable circumstance in these ruins, and
which is almost conclusive with respect to their an
tiquity. In the very heart of the mound called the
Kasr, and also in the ruins on the bank of the river,
which have been crumbled and shivered by the ac-
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