Sun Ap 25. [25 April 1909] Went out in the morning with Dr Andrae and
photographed. The long trenches are most fascinating especially
one, dug very deep, where the old Assyrian houses and streets are
clearly visible. These old Assyrian houses stand very complete.
Probably this town was destroyed by some sort of catastrophe and
when it came to be rebuilt later, the people simply completed the
filling up of the ruins, levelled over all and rebuilt on top. Then back to
more photographs, Parthian drawings and talk. In the court there is a
strange block which looks like a capital this shape [sketch] with 2
rows of small leaves round the spring of the cap. and a many sided
column below. Andrae thinks it is the earliest Corinthian just as
Puchstein found in Assyria the proto Ionic. After lunch wrote my diary
a little. At a quarter to 4 Dr Andrae came, we had tea together and
talked till a quarter to 7. Very pleasant dinner: they told tales of the
Arab insensibility to pain, how they pick up burning coals in their
hands etc and burn themselves for healing purposes. Also of a man
who took in his fingers the coal from an old woman, laid it on his
naked knee while he made his cigarette and then calmly lighted the
cigarette.