Show Excavations Confirm Bible Sto Story y Of Sodom and Gomorrah's Fall LONDON May 11 The W-The P The Biblical story of the destruction of the cities I of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone Is believed by Father Alexis Mallon Jesuit archeologist of the Pontifical Biblical institute at Rome t to be confirmed by archeological ical discoveries on the site of the two towns Father Mallon who with Father Robert Koeppel has spent three years excavating on the north shore shor of the Dead sea in Palestine said their in investigation investigation investigation in- in has shown that the two cities were contemporary and existed from before 2500 B. B C C. C to not later than 2100 B B. B C C. At the latter date dale he hc said both had been destroyed by fire and never were Traces of violent conflagrations were found in the ruins he said including in including in in- layers of ashes He added that on the plain below the hill on which the cities stood there was a 1 curious rock formation about five feet high which legend associates with Lots Lot's wife wilc who according to the Biblical Biblical Biblical Bib Bib- lical story was turned into a pillar pUlar of salt at the time the cities were de destroyed de- de The excavators penetrated 26 feet and dug through three cities each cach built on the ruins of another Underneath Underneath Underneath Under Under- neath these three the they said is probably proba proba- bly a fourth The ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah were found in the top layer The houses were rectangular indicating indicating indi indi- cating eating that the inhabitants had developed developed developed devel devel- out of the primitive circular hut stage The floors of the homes in the upper layer were of stone and those I In the lower of brick In the floor were holes in which grain was stored The Tie inhabitants inhabitants' were evidently dedicated to agricultural pursuits judging from the number of agricultural tur tural ll instruments of silica or flint un un- Some instruments of the same material were for war These included formidable Many skeletons came to light with the same characteristics as a l skeleton toda today Babies were buried in pottery pottery pot pot- tery urns One incident of the discoveries discoveries discoveries dis dis- dis- dis was the finding of a childs child's head cut off apparently by a sharp instrument Some ancient person had taken the head and made an urn around it |