Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-04-05
The Old World..-and the Ancient
J World. 800. .-E..l

| SoNcIul IcIuuIkuulO uisSO'ClICo VI az
cient monuments which have recently
been made in Italy and in Egypt. In
the latter coun,rya new city-if we can
call that new which was old in the time
Of the Pharaohs-has been found buried
in the sand, near the first cataract,
The account is, that an Arab, stumbling
upon something like the head Of n
sphynx prolruding from the soil, report.
ed the circumstance to a French cxplo.
rer: who, having obtained authority from
the Pachn, fell to work with a corps OF
laborers, and soon succeeded in excn
vatng street, which has been laid bare
for distance Of sixteen hundred yards,
or nearly a mile. Numberless curosi.
ties have been cxhumed, among others,
more than thirty.cight immense granite.
sa:chophagi, each weighing about seven.
ty tons, the repositories, obviously, Of
the ashes Of sacred animals. The street
is described as presenting an extraor.
dinary spectacle, especially when light.
cd up at night.
In Italy, besides numerous busts Of
the Emperor Adrian and the members
Of his family, found at Baia, exeava.
tions made at Cumg have revealed a
temple Of exceedingly rich and beauti.
I full architecture, statues, vases &C., and
, a number Of tombs, one Of them contain.
ing seven bodies, two of which had wax.
r en- heads, and faces, with glass eyes-a
! circumstance which has greatly puzzled
the savans Of Europe to accoun, for
0 Far more interesting and important how.
ever, is the discovery, made near the
. site Of the ancient Canosa, by Signor
9 Carlo Bonnucci, the we'll known Nea.
poliian Director. General Of antiquities
l and excavations, Of subterranean ne.
> cropsis, or cemetery of ancient date, and
d in the most perfect preservation. Ca
i. nosa was founded by DiomeJe, and is
in the district Of Puglia, Apulia) part
e of Magua Gracia, as it was originally
n called, the portion Of southern Italy oc'
d cupied by the later Greek colonies
We find in the London Athenaum an
c account of this metropolis, by foreign
/! correspondent, which is very curious
/. AMI surprisng-ndecd, makes severe
d tax upon ones creduli,y; it being diff
;. cult to understand what is meant by the
description of perishable articles-fur
c niture drapery, withcred garland-and
,, the bodies of the dead all presenting a
!. natural appearance, after an inhuma
ton of twelve hundred years. The cor
z? respondent however, vouches for the trutl
ir of his story, which We exract in his
n own words. Speaking Of the necropo
h lis, he says: ..-.
= "Its principal entrance is decorated
I! with four Dorc columns, two inches 70
statutes, and second line of Ionic col
umns, all of slight and elegant proper
tons, and Of workmanship which re
% calls the best age Of Art-that hetweer
3 Percles and Alexander. This elegant
l. entrance was painted in various colors
which produced an effect not less pleas
ing than surprising. This specimen q
" polychromatic architecture is .valuabl !
- for its high state of preservation, it
y" freshness, and for the elastic time tc
which it belongs. -#
:" "Entering the city in question, owe
- which Time and Death had read 81
lencc, we find streets which lead to va
u rious groups of dwellings. The gate
i, are decorated with elegant Ionic col
:. =, umns, whose capitals present the acces
- sorry ornament ola festoon. Signor Bo
nucci tells me, that on entering the cham
!, bers he found ever, thing arranged in it
-, place as It had been left twelve centu
- res ago. The walls were covered will
in linen embroidered in gold; garlands o
=, flowers, wi,hered it is true, but preser
9 wing all their forms, hung in festoon
of from the ceiling. All kinds Of furnitur
!. and precious vases were distributed a
bout in the most varied and graceful
4. manner. Here were to be seen statue
, of marble-busts Of dcities and priestes
ID ses in terra Gotta, beautifully painted
vases Of "creta" of an extraordinar
as size, on which are represented the mos
le interesting scenes ofprivate life, and tn
ID most classical traditions Of mythology
IN OF these spoke in recent letter. a
IS having Just arrived at the Museo Bobo
s, nico. They are not yet arranged, bu
D. yesterday was favored with ncare
ne and longer inspection. On the large
e. vase. which is Of gigantic size, and
m still unpacked, though lying exposed
IL Homer is painted with the Tyre in hi
hands as if he we're singing some pas
-