, 1872-12-26


earth the Hone OF priam.-Andro-
| macIless Tower Discovered-.Also the
wa1ls Thrown Up by Neptune and
APoIlo--FHosne1'sq qIind.
| Excavations are now in progress on the site Of
ancient Troy, in Asia Minor, which cannot but
deeply interest, not archmoloists merely, but
! every one who has read the tale of
Achllcs wrath, to Greece the direful spring
OF woes unnumbered.
from Homerio times the Plains Of Troy, tray
erse BY the little streams, scamander and simois,
| and lying between. the Egsan Sea aud Mount
Ida, have been identified with the soenes de-
scribed in the liad but so widely have travellers
and archnologists differed with regard to the
site OF the famous city which for ten years de-
| fed the united arms Of Greece, that it has long
| Troy could be found within the Troad, and, in
fact, whether such city ever existed save in the
fortile imagination OF the author OF the Homeric
Epic.
These doubts are in q fair way Of being 1e-
moved by the discoveries Of Dr. Henry schlle-
! mann, who for more than q year has been con-
ducting series of explorations on the Plains Of
Troy, OF which he has furnished an elaborate &C
count to the Herald. He had previously broken
ground in this neghborhood, chiefly to satisfy
himself that Burnabaahi, with it had become
the fashion to describe the site Of Troy, could
| lay no claim to that honor, He found that no
considerable city could have been built there
both On account Of the limited urea Of the site
aUa u tuB AUSbut6 u I6Iudl1a u POL@
terry at q greater depth than three or
four feet. below the surface. Ezcava-
| tions at other points suggested by strabo and
other ancient historians and geographers were
/ equally fruitlees Of valuable results. Having
settled this point, he turned his attention to q
plateau several miles north of Burnabnshi, r1s-
ing about q hundred feet above the plain and
| terminating abruptly on it's northern and north
western sides, which seemed admirably adapted
for the site Of a large city, such as Troy is de-
arrfha5 tc 1,aya haan 4 fioht inn T4o1o
| in 1870 showed that the place was rich in re-
mains OF buried architecture and pottery. He
at once made up his mind that he had discovered
the site Of Troy, and prepared to conduct
method.
The first difficulty to overcome was to obtain
permission to dig into and through the plateau,
which was owned partly by q Mr. Frank Calvert
fully consented to have his premises invaded,
but the latter, not sharing DR.. sch1iemann's 9
i archaeological enthusiasm, would neither Ben
their land nor permit it to be e1caVated, except
on The condition that they should receive a
| large sum of money, and that the trenches
| should be filed up on the completion OF the
| digging. Here the paternal Ottoman Govern
ment stepped in, compelled the Turks to sell
| the land at its estimated value to the Ministry
| Of Public instruction, and then oblgingly
men he broke ground in October, 1871, and exca-
yated until compelled, at the end OF November,
| by the winter rains, to desist. He resumed
| work with much larger force OF men last April,
! last few weeks. Next year he hopes to continue
| the Interesting task he has undertaken.
| The cutting made in 1871 revealed to him ruins
| Of different ages in strata OF comparative regu-
]arity. Those Of historic times were nowhere
| more than seven feet below the surface. at a
depth of fifteen feet only calcined ruins were
| found, showing that for ages preceding historic
| times mono but wooden houses had existed
there. At depth Of from fourteen to twenty
| four feet many stone implements and Fragments
| Of pottery were found, but no metal, and the
houses were OF small stones united with earth,
an indication that the inhabitants were A1yans,
| Ten feet lower he came upon houses Of IN
| burnt brick, and implements and weapons Of
| copper, and below this stratum were unearthed
| huge blocks OF stone, which led the explorer to
believe ha had reached the veritab1e ruins Of
trench t 10'i in The tie abrupt north lids, Which
he believed must have formed the site Of
| the acropolis, and this was followed by other
| cuttings in the vicinity, which have occupied
| the whole of the past season. Working his way
| with difficulty through immense masses of rub
I bish, he came in June upon colossal structure
Of solid masonry forty feet in thickness an. and
| twenty in height, built upon the primitive rock.
| which he conjectures may have been tower OF
| the wall Of Troy, and possibly that from Which
| Andromache Witnessed the death Of Hector. It
| is composed OF stones joined with clay, and is
| dlpa4tAt13 ~ hAG4GAt 1o LAo1o EA0!44S"~A@N -
mains known as Cyclopean, and so different in
structure and character from the ruins exhumed
above 1t, that there can be no doubt that its
origin dates far back into the age OF tradition
the plateau part of wall Ct huge stones joined
with clay, seven feet in thickness by ten in
| height, which may have been the wall OF clrcum-
vallation mentioned in the uiad as having been
built around the city BY Neptune and Apollo. =.
These structures, together with the supposed
site Of temple, constitute the principal archi-
tectu1al discoveries Of DR.. Sch1emann, and OF
| their absorbing interest and value there can be
no question. But in connection with the re-
mains Of Troy he has also Enearthed many I'M
plenents and utensils, mostly in mutilated con-
dition, which illustrate the habits and religion
| OF the ancient people who owned the sway
Of Priam. These comprise pottery OF many va
rieties and great beauty, stone instruments,
rial, workmanship, shape and ornamentation in
dicata people far more civilized than the races
who successfully built over the site Of Troy.
Much Of the pottery is embel1ished with the
crotcheted CROSS, Wel-knoWn symbol OF the
Aryan race. At depth Of tifty-three feet large
toads were found, which must unqnest1onably
have lived there some 5000 years. IT is with
! q strange senaation," writes Dr.. schllenann,
| ssthat one looks upon creatures that we're the
contemporaries OF Hector and Andromache,
| though they be only toads."
The excavations have hitherto been conducted
| BY lIr. Schliemann at his own expense, and he
inti1nates his willingness to resign the further
prosecution of the work into the hands OF COM
| petent and intelligent persons. From the clue
already furnished BY him the completion Of the
excavations can only be g question Of time and
money, and tits to be hoped that tho want OF
these may not delay or indefinitely postpone dis
coyeries IN which all civilized persons are inter-
ested- 4 few years intelligent labor would
doubtless lay bare the foundations Of the most
famous city Of epic Gong.
|
MAN AND WIFE.
Perils OF Unwary Bachelors In Scot