TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 221 



of huff pottery, painted with black geometric designs, was found in these 

 explorations at Abu Shahrain, and— although in far less quantity and sometimes 

 only in coarse traces — even on the surface of five of the other mounds men- 

 tionefl, which is exactly of the same kind as those found in the two lowest 

 strata of Susa (the cajiital of Elam) and Mussian by the Dr. Morgan expedition. 

 This Susian pottery, as is well known, bears a striking resemblance to pottery 

 fragments found by the Pumpelly expedition to Anau about 300 miles E. of 

 the Caspian. It is entirely distinct from either Sumerian or Semitic remains, 

 and consequently we must now recognise the presence of a third people settled 

 in veiy early times in this area in S. Babylonia, of the same stock as the peoples 

 of Anau and Elam. 



The stone implements of Abu Shahrain are numerous, and the expedition 

 found quantities of flint, obsidian and crystal flakes, and about 400 chipped 

 axe-heads similar in shape to those from Susa. Particularly noticeable even 

 on the surface were the baked clay sickles, quite practicable for their work, 

 and a large quantity of day ' nails ' always bent round at the point, similar 

 to some found at Susa and Mussian. The large quantity of fresh-water mussels 

 found in the strata, in contrast to the very few sea-shells, proves that the 

 Persian Gulf was further from the mound than the great Euphrates lagoons. 



From all indications it seems almost certain that these prehistoric Anau- 

 Elamitic folk could not write. They must have been succeeded by the Sumerians, 

 three kings of whom— Ur-Engur (c. 2400 B.C.). Bur-Sin (c. 2350 B.C.), and 

 Nur-Adad (c. 2175 B.C.) — left inscribed bricks telling of their restoration of 

 the zigurrat. 



The more modern portion of the paper deals vei-y briefly (with lantern 

 slides) with the campaign, irrigation, towns, and mode of life of the inhabitants. 



2. Snrveyif in Mesopotamia during the War. 

 By Lieut. -Colonel G. A. Beazley, D.S.0.,R.E. 



Mesopotamia was unsurveyed before the Expeditionary Force landed in the 

 country, the only maps available were the Indian Degree Sheets on the ^-inch 

 scale compiled from reports and travellers' sketches. Sir William Willrocks' 

 skeleton irrigation maps were of great use, and were nsed to tie down both the 

 ground- and air-photo surveys when triangulation was not available. 



The Survey of India undertook the whole of the survey work and mapping 

 carried out in Mesopotamia. 



A survey party under Col. F. W. Pirrie. C.M.G.. CLE. (who was also Deputy 

 Director of Surveys), was organised, consisting of about seven oflScers, twenty-six 

 surveyors, and .300 men, to deal with all the survey operations exclusive of air- 

 photography and map compilation. 



The survey personnel was organised briefly as follows : — 



1. A detachment operating from Nasiriyah as its centre under Capt. W. E. 

 Perry, M.C., R.E., who was responsible for all w-ork in the Euphrates Valley, 

 and whose detachment, after the fall of Baghdad, wa« strengthened, and carried 

 the work up as far north as Hit and Falujah on the Euphrates, and up to the 

 right bank of the Tigris. 



2. A Rmall section under Lieut. -Col. H. H. Turne'-, E.E., on the Tigris front as 

 far as Kut. 



3. The remainder of the partv under Col. Pirrie filling in the blanks in rear 

 of the fighting fronts, from the Persian hills to the east to the Arabian desert on 

 the west. 



Lieut.-Col. 0. A. Beazley. D.S.O.. E.E., succeeded Col. Turner (who was 

 invalided) in October 1916. and was attached to O.H.Q. His detachment was 

 responsible for all survey work on the Tifrris front till some time after the fall 

 of Baghdad. In ^Tav 1017 bis small party was considerably strengthened, and 

 its operations embraced ail the country from Samarrah and Tekrit on the west 

 to the borders of Persia .~>n the east and a r.ortion of Persia itself. 



4. Lieut.-Col. C. P. Gunter. O.B.E., R.E., was in charge of Map Compilation 

 G.H.Q.. and was responsible for all mans on various .scales based pinncipallv on 

 a-r-photography. and subsequently for all maps required by the force on various 

 scales compiled from all cources of survey. 



