The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-17
THE ENGLISH POMPEII.


Mr.. Wright gives the following account of re-
cent visit to the excavations near WroXeter on the
site of the buried Uriconium
1t will be remembered that the first excavations
laid open very extensive public building, the exact
object of which is very doubtful, forming the
ner of two principal streets of the Roman city of
UricOnium one running east and west, buried un-
der the soil the other running north and south,
identical with the road nAw called the Waiting
street road. The necessities of agriculture have
quired that the walls of this public building should
be buried again, and they now covered with a
crop of turnips. |. will be remembered, also, that
to the south of this building the eXcaYator had
opened several rooms of what appeared to have
been an extensive mansion. 1t is in this latter
building that the more recent excavations have
been carried on. may remark that the whole site
of this building, and no doubt of other buildings to
the south of it, are included in the piece of ground
of which the Excavation Committee is now the ten
ant. The piece of ground is bounded by the hedge
of the Waiting street road or in other words it lies
on the side of what was probably the principal
street in the Roman city. After nearly a months
interruption, the excavations were recommended
from this hedge side from so to 90 feet to the south
ward of the former excavations. wall was imme
dlatey found, bordering on the street, in which
there were two dOorWays, one to the north, about
II feet wide, approached from the street by an in
cned plane, formed of very large and massive
payng-stones; the other about 80 feet more to the
south, not quite One-half as wide, and approached
by two stone steps, very much worn, and in a man
ner which showed that the concOurs of people who
entered on foot must have come generally up the
street from the south Both these entrances led into
court about 40 feet square, paved very neatly
with bricks in herring bone fashion, which in places
had been good deal damaged and mended during
the Roman period. The larger entrance was prOba-
bly, intended for horses and carts and it is rather
curious that in this part of the court portion of a
horseshoe was found. Among numerous objects
found here and lodged in the Museum at Shrews-
bury We're two portions of very fine and large capi-
tails OF columns that there must have been in this
part OF the building great display Of architectu
raj magnltcence. The interior Ofths court has only
yet been partially cleared, but walls have been
traced in the centre which may perhaps have be-
! onged to a fountain.
On two sides, north and south, this court was bor
dered by series of small square rooms, the floors
| of which some feet below the level of the
| court, and which, they now remain with the
walls between two and three feet above the court
have no apparent means of entrance, and are found
filled with different objects, which would lead to
| look upon them as store-rooms. One appeared to
| have been depot of charcoal with undoubted
traces of mineral coal (hey have only yet been par
tally cleared out) and in two others, one on each
| side of the court were found great quantities of
bones OF different animals, stag's and other horns,
&c; and as many of them had been sawed and cut,
| they may, perhaps, have been collections of mate
rals for the manufacture of the various objects of
| bone and horn which are found very abundantly in
| the excavations. We are led almost to the SuppO-
sition that there may have been magazines of such
articles for sale by the circumstance that number
with Roman numerals upon them, were found scat,
tered about In this court, also, were found some
skulls and other remains of dogs, which have been
pronounced by comparative anatomists to belong to
mastiifs of the pure old English breed.
At the back of this court, eastern side, was
found along walled space which may have been
sort of coister or cryptoportcus. Adoorway in the
back oft, where the eXcavatOrs entered it, sug
gested the propriety of running trench directly
eastward; plan which was followed, and which
led to interesting discoveries. A transverse wal
was first met with, and after that two differ
ent levels or terraces with smooth pavements Of ce
ment, until at length the excavators came down t.
a much lower floor which was paved with larg,
hagstones, and which was As feet across. The foo
was covered with dark earth, filled with broker
pottery and other objects, which would lead t,
suppose that this had been reservoir of fwater.
Another floor of about 100 feet across brought u
to massive walls of building, and the continuation
of the trench showed rather higher floor, until i
again sunk to deep floor of about 10 feet by sc