The New York herald., 1876-12-12
A Mine Of Gold and Silver
JeWelry.
EXPLORING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
The Great Arch@ologist's First Visit
to Mycena.
WHAT AMERICAN SAVANS THINK OF IT.


scholars renders the present opportune time to lay
before our readers some account OF his visit
Mycense and as lar as known, OF his present dis
covcrIes the ruins OF Myccne are, beyond all ques-
tion some OF tho very Oldest in Europe, and every
thing which pertains to thcm must be OF intcnse In
terest who derive much Of literature art
and SCIENCE from this almost forgotten race. TO rs
~ the present day. the age Of Agamcmnon seems SO
far back in the dim past that II Is difficult TO
believe that of men then lived who, ventures
before the first written history, wcrc possessed OF
many OF tho arts and sciences which make life not
only comfortable bur even luxurious But as Horace
truly remarks, "vixcrc fortes anti -Agamemnona," " so
wo may safely conclude that many great and powerful
monarchs regued on The throne OF Pcops before the
mighty skiing OF mon" asccnded it, In fact, there is
ample evidence to show that that dynasty
founded the ruins OF another and that tho former
succeeded 70 tho original PeIasgic rule.
SITUATION MYcESx
Mycen1 was one capitals the little State OF
Argolis The latter lies along the seacoast Of
the Peloponnesus. and was from its position, one OF
Tho first parts Of Greece invaded by the Phenicans
ana hardy sailors OF ASIA Minor Besides Myccna was
also Argos place of most likely greater size, but or
less Importance than Nyccnn, where the royal palace
was Dr. Schliemann visited the OF the present
exploration 1867 and carly in the present autumn
he began tue work which has just eliminated In the
present valuable discovery
LETTER FROM scHLIEMAxy
The following letter from Dr. Schliemann to friend
In Leipsic Is OF interest
found below the three sculpturcd tombstoncs, OF
which cent you the drawings, square tomb 20,
ect long and ii 23 iect broad The depth OF 1t can
not yet determine, as II has not been entirely
empted 1t certainly exceeds IA feet below the sur
face of Tho rock and So feet below the surface OF the
Acropos, ns II was when began my excavations
there. The tomb borders the wall which supports
the double circular parallel Of tombstones nay,
wall goes through The angle tomb
This fixes their relative age When that wall was
being built tho old tomb was evidently empticd, and
found III It only thirteen gold buttons lone OF them as
largo ivc-franc piece) with splendldy engraved
spiral lircs, and with the sign which some archeoo-
giss call the Svastlka or Arani from its similarity
with the Indian symbols OF that name. There
mass Of gold blades with impressed circles spiral
ornaments, but nothing in , and scattered about at
intervals OF three and six feet
In the second row OF sculptured tombstoncs found
beneath slabs square ditch IL 23 feet broad, 81
feet long, and cut IA feet deep into the rock. It's
bottom reaches therefore, 10 80 feet below the surface
Of tho mount Around the Tour sides OF the tomb
Cycopcan wall fect high and feet thick. Il con-
ained bodies reposing the rock They evidently
been burnt; the bones wore embedded In black
and covered with layer of large stores 1t Is impos
sible as yet to determine the number ct bodies
tanned In this tomb. The bones Of person dug up
ut the south corner were covered with i've immense
gold icaves-tho first AZ centinctres long and 10
broad; tho second AK ccntimetres long and 6is
broad; the third IS centmetres long and 61s broad
nth, 63 ccntimetrcs long and 61 broad Upon these
gold leaves were found nve crosses each Is cent?
metres long and broad and formed each
OF four gold leaves. There were besides four gold
blades or circular form-one 8, the other 5 and tho
third ~ ccntimctres in diamcter-and numerous
ornaments which cannot here describe.
have now begun 70 dig up the tomb beneath tho
stone with the bas. relief OF the scrpcnts,
mother beneath two unsculptufed stones the
row. There such ionbs tho large circle
Of the double parallel row. shall not leave Myccnse
I'LL have examined them all
AS the wall with the circular rows of slabs passes
through part Of the FIRST tomb and as the second tomb
which was undisturbed, contains only more ancient
hand made pottery 1t clear that these tombs
far ancient than the double parallel rows of Slabs
which probably erected IN honor Of the heroes
who tradition has IT, lay buried In those immense
The treasury has gwen me immense trouble, and
though have been working mt 1t Tor than TWO
months with large number OF aborers and CARTS
still from being entirely cleared out Tho centre Of
Il is clear down the virgin soil, ana likewise tho
threshold Nothing OF particular interest has yet
been found there.
on the nth OF November DR.. Schlicmann wres:-
hasten to inform you that in the tomb were
found tho calcned remains OF two more bodies each
with precisely tho same number gold leaves round
blades ana crosses. All these objects have the same
beautiful spiral limos and circles In
day two shall know how many tombs thcro
am now clearing tho whole circle down to the
rock.
RELICS ALREADY FOUND
In tho great circle Of parallel slabs beneath tho
archaic sepulchral stones, which Dr. schemann has
shown to be the tomb of Agamemuon and his compan-
ions, he has discovered immense tombs containing
jcwclry. He found in portion OF a tomb human
bones, male and female plate jewelry Of pure archaic
gold weighing i've kiiogrammcs, two sceprcs with
heads OF crystal, and chased objects in silver and
bronze, and great quantity OF womcn's jewelry in
gold, handsomely worked. Immediately alter CON-
mencing excavations at adjoining TOMB
large bead OF COW in silver, with i'm
horns Of pure gold, found large grdlc Of
gold, nvo gold vases and immense golden buttons wero
A
worked Among other discoveries are nine silver
vases and swords OF bronze but no trace OF
ironwork. Tho following articles of pure gold aud
splendid ornamentation were also found:-A helmet,
two diadems, woman'S largo comb, a large breast
plate three masks, six vases two bracelets, rings
threo brooches. immense mass Of buttons, leaves
and other articles, three large grdles silver vase
stag cast in lead with OF swords daggers axes
and warriors knives all Of bronze, with twenty -vo
dint-headcd arrows.
A VISIT TO MycESR.
The following account OF DR.. schhemanns first visit
10 Mycsna his abortve attempt exploration will
amply repay perusal:-
ARRIVAL At xYcES9
We arrived at hall past twelve, noon, at tho dirty
md miserable village of Charvati which occu-
81 Mycena, once the capital Of Agamcrn-
non, and renowned for its immense wealth. Ny
10 be able TO follow me to tho Acropolis, which was
about miles from CharvatL allowed them to
in the village until my return, tho moro willingly
rs had passed the mountains, and had 10
fear from brigands Besides tncy knew nothing OF
MyccnG, not even the namc and had notion OF
tho heroes whom that city Is indebted Tor It's glory
consequently they could not havo been OF the least
10 me, either to point out the monuments TO
stimulate my enthusiasm for archaeology took with
me, then. only boy IRON The village, who know tho
citadel by the name Of "tho tort OF Agamomnonn and
thc great treasury by that OF "Agamcmnon's tomb y
Tho celebrity OF hycen@ belongs oniy 10 the heroic
sge, Tor the city lost its Importance alter tue
the HeraclidD and the occupation OF Argos by the
Dorians, but II retained its indcpe ndcncc and sup
ported tho national against Pcrsans eighty
Nycenians fought and died with the little band Of
bpartans at Thermopyln aud 400 Mycenians
and 1yrhenians took share In the battle
OF PlatnH. The Argives, who remained neutral,
envicd the honor which tho Myccnians had acquired
by their part in these battles and, besides, feared
lest seeing the ancient glory OF thor city, the Ny
renians would recover the begemony Of Argolide
for these they aid siege Mycena, took 1t
and destroyed IL in 466 b. G.