Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-02-04
Antiquarian Treasures ut Rome.

The correspondent OF the LOndon
Daily Telegraph at Rome, in writing
about the excavations in that city, says:
Everything that is dug up is brought
under the immediate cognizance of the
Commissions Archaeological. This body
has as its President the Marquis Vitel-
leschi, and among its members such we'll
known antiquarians as the Commenda-
tore Rosa, Augusta Castellani and Caval
leire Lanciani. The last-named gentle
man is the keeper of the antiquities dis
covered, which are deposited at the Of
fee of the commission, situated at the
Capitol. There may be seen collection
comprising specimens of nearly every
thing, either for show or used in the pri-
vate lite of the ancient Romans. Take
for example the coins. They have been
discovered in startling quantities. On
the Esquiline SO many have been found
that they fill chests. Only during the
past week the workmen came upon
mass of some 5000 lying loose in the
ground. These coins are principally
bronze, but there is also large amount
of gold and silver money. One thing
has peculiar interest attached to it. 1t
is small, round, bronze box, which was
used to keep medals in. Although the
medals were gone, it was at once ascer-
tanned by the archaologist that the box
had contained them and that they
had been stolen, for on the bottom of the
box may be seen the impression left in
the thick coating of verdigris. There
are numbers of inkstands and bronze
pens, enough to have supplied the no
taries of the modern city. A collection
of small Etruscan vases in colored terra
Gotta has been the means of proving the
existence and site of an ancient Etruscan
cemetery on the Esquiline. From the
tomb of priest has been extracted the
gold thread woven into his robes, which
has remained long after he and the robes
he wore have crumbled into dust. Among
some hundreds of bone and ivory-han-
died clasp-knives is one which belonged
to a jockey in the circus. On the ivory
handle was scratched a plan OF the cir
Gus, the representation OF the horse, the
owners whip, and the palm he won as
prize These knives all bear singular
resemblance In ahnnn tn the rude clasp
knives in everyday use among ~ ...con-
tadini," and above all, some have bead
at the point, which probably then, as
now, was intended to prevent the too tree
use of this favorite Roman weapon. 1t
would take up far too much space to
enumerate the numberless objects OF
great interest to be seen here. They COM
prise wide range of materials, such as
agate, crystal, amethyst, glass, paste, ala
baster," ivory, fresco, stucco, gold and
mosaic. They clearly demonstrate, how
ever, the vast quantity of valuable curl
osities that are daily being exnumed at
the present time in Rome. There are
bushels of terra-cotta lamps, some very
beautiful, besides many larger things in
the same ware. Heaps of ivory sptlte
and writing styles show how lasting and
common this beautiful substance must
have been The pots and urns in bronze
are a magazine in themselves, bat there
is far smaller show of iron implements,
probably owing to the more perishable
nature of the metal These things lie
deposited in the storerooms OF the COM
mission, waiting till means be found for
their proper arrangement. Perhaps the
most important in the long list of objects
lately dug up is the collection of eighty
two statues. A few Of the most perfect
are placed in the Capitoline Museum of
Sculpture. The majority of the others
lie on their backs in vault adjoining
the Tabularium of the Capitol, awaiting
their turn for restoration and setting US
in the gallery.