Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-07-01
"Diana Of the Ephesians. I"

IL
Minor TO the London Atheneum that
the excavations at Ephesus are aban-
doned for the present. The Temple
of Diana, the platform upon which it
is raised, and the ground about for
thirty feet, have been explored. Mr..
Wood writes
On my return from England last
October TO direct this work, / contin.
ued to clear out the sand and debris
from such portions of the site of the
Temple Of Diana rs had not been al
ready explored, as well as q consider
able area in every direction beyond
the lowest step Of the Temple, Pliny's
"uniuersum Templum." Fearing that
the rainy season would set in earlier
than usual, and that the water rising
In the excavations would prevent the
exploration of the site to the required
depth, engaged 300 workmen, who,
under the Sergeant and Corporal OF
the Royal Engineers allotted me by
Government, as well as Greek gauger
and three Turkish canvassers, rapidly
cleared tho ground 10 be explored
Happily my fears were not realized,
and instead of an unusually early wet
season it was exceptionally dry, and
l was therefore able TO explore the
whole site two feet lower than in
former seasons.
Moro than one hundred feet Of the
lowest step Of the Temple platform
was found in position on the north
side and about ten feet on the east
end. Over the step on the north side
o large circular lme-kiln, fifteen feet
in diameter, bad been erected soon
after the destruction Of the Temple,
and into this snd several others found
on the site, was doubtless thrown most
of the beautiful sculpture which had
so materially added to the magnif-
cence Of the structure which it adorned.
The great altar, nineteen feet. six
inches square, discovered last season,
has now been fully laid bare. There
is o drain in the foundation of it, which,
/ suppose, served to carry away the
water used in washing the surface.
The position Of this altar gives the
approximate position of tho statne of
the goddess, as well as that OF the
columns which decorated the interior
of the cells in two tiers. The dry sea.
son enabled me thoroughly to explore
the whole OF the cells. In go doing, |
discovered remains of three distinct
temples-the last but two, tho last
but one, and the last. The former
must have been that built 500 B. c.,
for which the solid foundations dc.
scribed by Pliny and Vitruvius were
laid. A portion Of the west and south
walls OF the cells Of this temple, with
some Of the pavement, was found re-
naming in position, as well as great
quantity of tho pavement, undcr tho
persityle Of The last temple. This
pavement consists of two layers, one
Of whito marble, the other Of lime
stone, and is the same rs that which
was found the last day OF tho year
1869, making the site Of the Temple.
Between five and six feet below the
pavement, and under tho foundations
Of the walls of the cells, / found the
layer of charcoal, four inches thick,
described by Pliny, this was laid be-
tween two layers Of composition
about three inches thick, similar to
and Of the consistency Of GLACIERS
putty. Could this have been the
flecces Of wool on which the Temple
was said to have been built? The
lower stones Of the anita of this early
Temple were also found in position, as
we'll as those Of the bases of one or
two columns. Between the antse wero
found five Of the mortices which were
cut in the pavement to receive tho
standards of an iron grille, which sop
arated the pronaos from the peristyle.
We found remains Of the pavement of
the last Temple but one, tho ono CON-
menced in the early part Of the Fourth
Century B. O., and burnt by Heros.
tratus in the year 356 B. G. This
pavement had been highly polished
and was raised nearly four feet higher
than that Of tho proceeding Temple.
In conjunction with it were found two
Of the stones Immediately connected
with tho door, in one Of which was
cut the morticc-holo to receive the
door post, and the groove upon which
the door was moved in the other
stone was cut the wide and deep groove