This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/12/2023
[ARCHAEOLOGY]. HUXLEY, Henry M. A group of 5 autograph letters signed, discussing stone inscriptions, anthropology, and Bedouin customs. Beirut, Damascus, Hama, Bhamdoun: 28 February 1900 - June 1901.
24 pages total, 8vo, double-leaves varying in size, each letter signed by Harvard anthropologist Henry Minor Huxley and addressed to his mother, occasional light creasing. Contents include anthropological work performed for the Howard Crosby Butler Archaeological Expedition to Syria, as well as a noteworthy archaeological discovery of a stone inscription made in Syria, its location guarded with secrecy by the few expedition members having this knowledge. Writing to a trusted source (his mother), Huxley reveals the discovery of an ancient inscription carved into an overturned stone, in a language possibly not yet identified, stating that he took the first photograph of it, and that only a select few expedition members are privy to knowing its location. His commentary on experiences with the local civilians and officials are straightforward and occasionally blunt.