The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-12-23

THE WORK OF DIR. sCHLEMAN-HIS ExCA-
vATIoNs Ar MYCENF.


we make the following extracts:
In the North corner of the plain OF
Argos. Mt the foot of two steep noun
tains, one of which is $500 feet high.
and crowned by Il chapel of the prophet
Elias, on a 132-feet high. and | ,20O-feet
long and broad triangular rock, which
falls off prccipitately to the North and
South, and forms to the East and West
six natural or artificial terraces, is stu
ated the famous Acropolis of Mycenn.
1t is surrounded by 13-fect to 40-feet
high cyclopean walls, which show three
different kinds of architecture. and
have evidently been built at long inter
walls of time
| have been busy with II laborers for
two weeks opening the passage from
the Lions Gate in the Acropolis. but
have had very hard work there. owing
to the huge blocks by which it was OBJ
structed. and which seem to have been
hurled at the ASSISTANTS when the Aero
polls was captured by the Argians in
4GS 3. c.
Below the comparatively modern Hell
lenic city find by thousands the frag-
ments of those splendidly painted arch
ale vases which | already described in
dissertation on Tiryns. But it has es-
capped me to mention that most vases
are painted both outside and inside. and
that III many instances the internal
paintings far exceed in originality and
profusion of colors those ON the out
side. Thus. @. g., | found a vase decor
ated outside with representations of Il
deer, and inside. with those of men and
women. | also found quite II number
of entire vases. particularly of those
Enthusiastically painted globous vases which
have at the top two handles aud small
pipe for filling or omptying them. All
the PAINTED vases hitherto found have
been made on the potter's wheel. except
the very small ones which are evidently
handmade. 1t is true that | found in
Mycenn two fragments of coarse hand
made pottery, which can only be com
pared to the rudest pottery Of the Dan
ish 'kyokkcnmoddingc.' but they had
evidently been transported there from
elsewhere, and most decidedly ! have
not found yet at Myccnm the stratum of
the handmade pottery.
| nave been able to gather here more
than 300 broken or entire tcrra-cotta
idols of Juno. in the form of u woman
or il that of COW. by far the most of
the former have lively red painted orna-
mems. on a lighter red, dead color, two
breasts in relief, below which protrudes
on each side long horn, SO that both
horns together form half circle. and
as mentioned in my article on Tiryns.
they must either be intended to repre-
sent :owhorns or the symbolic horns of
the crescent, or both together.
Iron and glass had already been
known to the Myccnians at remote an
tiQuity, for ] found of the latter large
pearl in ten feet deep, and made of but
tonlike substance. a large number of
button-like objects, which seem to have
served as ornaments in the house doors
or elsewhere. OF iron | found some
knives, as well as some curious keys.
one of which is very thick, is fourteen
centimetres long. and is at the other
end provided with ring for suspension.
OF bronze 1 discovered two we'll pre-
served knives. one with part of its bone
handle; further, two arrows of pyra-
midal form without barbs.
At depth of ten to eleven and half
below the surface. l am bringing to
light cyclopean houses, built of uncut
stone. joined without clay or cement,
and founded twenty feet below the sur
face of the natural rock. The corner
stones of these mansions are remarkable
for their massivencss. These houses
are intersected by curious kind of
small streets, consisting of two small
parellel cyclopean walls; the space be-
tween which is filled up with small
stones. Still more remarkable than at
Tiryns are here the cyclopcan water con-
duits, for there at least they rest on the
natural rock, while here they are i'm
Decided irto the rubbish. and, the uncnt
stones being joined without any bind
ing material, it is really wonderful how
a current of water could have passed
through these without being lost III the
interstices. The cyclopean houses are
further intersected by numerous tombs,
upright standing tablets of limestone
OF the tombstones which, until now,
have been brought to light, fourteen are
without ornaments, while two others.
which are standing side by side, are
covered with bass reiiefs of capital in
terest. On the one stone warrior,
armed with lance, is standing in Il
chariot drawn by one horse, the extended
legs of which indicate its great speed;
the chariot has four spokes, which form
a cross Below is represented deer
pursued by a dog. On both sides are
very curious ornaments, which seem to
have cymbolic Specification. the more
so as those on the left are enclosed in a