The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-02
DESCRIPTION OF THE ACROPOLIS.
CyclOpean Dwellings and Sculptured
TOmbStOneS Buried Under the Soil.
THE TREASURES OF CLYTEMNEsTRA.
Valuable Contributions to Arch
geological Lore.



base Of two rocky mountains, one of which is $500
above the level and whose summit crowned
by small! church dedicated to the Prophet Elias Is
situated the celebrated Acropolis OF Mycenn. 1t
stands on a triangular shaped 1872 feet height
and about J, 200 feet square, aud Is surrounded by
cycopean walls from thirteen TO lorty feet IN height
These walls OF three different styles of architecture,
and were doubtless built in three different One
part is like the walls OF Tryns composed of large
built upon small ones; another part composed
OF polygonal beautifully Joined. The third
STYLE situated the Gate OF Lions IS composed oil
large square blocks OF butt In horizontal lines
Tho lower city was situated to the south southwest
OF tho Acropolis, is seen by the remains of tho
cyclopcan walls, houses and bridge, all cycopcan;
also nine treasure houses. and by the fragments OF
beautifully painted ancient clay with which tho
ground literally covered The position OF the tow
being principally precpitous hills tho accumulation
of earth is but small and does exceed eighteen
inches in depth.
THE TREASURES.
Six Of the treasure shaped like furnaces,
and called by the inhabitants to-day. Five OF
them It appears, cxcavatcd in ancient times but
the result not, 1t is supposed, encouraging
attempt was ever made to open sixth, which
above ground could easily have been excavated
q single day by few workmen. Other two OF these
treasure houses conicnl in form, like the well
known ono of Atreus. One, situated the Gate Of
Lions Is small, and was 1t appears, excavacd by the
ancicnts. The one being excavntcd seems to be
nearly large tho house OF Atreus Seven
or eight work employed for about a fortnight
before they succeeded bringing to light the upper
part the triangular opening into it, and about 1000
cubic Of earth had to be removed before beginning
to excavae the treasure house itself Twelve men
were engaged Tor quite fortnight in opening the
THE AcRoPoLIs
through the Gate of Lions. twas blocked up by
huge stones VIII CHI It appears, were thrown down on
to the Argivcs when they bcscgng the Acropo
lis, 46s years B. c. Such, at enst, Is the opinion OF
DR.. Schlicmann At to the left. after entering the
gate small room has been found, the root of which
is formed of u single large Slab 1t is so low one
hardly stand upright IN IL; though small, II must
have used by the doorkcepcr. No ancient author
air MS that the city OF Mycen9 inhabited after its
capture by the Argivcs when the inhabitants were
driven away; but Dr. Schliomann is convinced that 1t
was again peoped, and that there was a new city ex-
listing Tor long time, probably Tor more than two
centuries because tho surface of the ground to
thickness of three feet full of the remains Of
Greek age This rcpeopiing took place, according to
DIR. Schcmann's ideas, early in tho fourth century
b. c., he thinks that IL was again devastated In
tho second century B. c. This theory is supported
| by tho fact that many coins Of the Macedonian
period have been found and by the entire
absence OF coins Of the Roman epoch. The city
! OF Mvccnn naQ no COlnuSo OIL ItS own. uHucTueutu
tho comparatively modern Greek city quantities of
fragments of beautifully painted ancient vases have
boon found painted inside and outside, the inside
painting from the variety OF its coorng and beauty
design frequently far surprising that OF the outside
Some fragments have stays painted outside anu inside
figures of mon and Perfect vases have fro
quently been mot with having two handles and
small pipe through which liquids were poured in and
out All these painted vases were made on potcr's
ali >,cl.xv Ia hx,
hand. Here wore found in August more than two hun
dred
FIGURES JUNO,
some entire others broken. They of baked clay
and arc formed either represent a female
with horns Most of them ornamcptcd With bright
rcd pain ings, and the women are represented with
full breasts under which protrude long horns which
unite and form scmicrcc There wero
also found twelve other figures of Juno,
tho bodies shaped like quoits, the heads un-
covered and without horns; hair hanging down
the back in plat; also some figures with heads like
BIRDS with large eyes and hands casped on the breast
doll about live and half inches high, representing
a very ugly Old woman, probably a prestess, was also
| found Glass aud known 10 the Mycenaeans
In very ancient times, as at depth OF ton feet pierced
glass bead and many articles of glass like substance
somcthi ing like buttons, were found; the latter were
probably used to ornament doors, &c. In iron were
found two daggers and keys OF very curious con-
structon One OF the keys about five inches in length
has ut one end copper ring for suspension; also two
well preserved brass knives, OF which mas part Of
n bone handle; ana arrows with pyranidai points,
resembling some Carthagcnian arrows found by DR..
schlsmanu while excavating sicily last year; also
five nueiy polished stone axes and small but thick
auoi, of baked clay with deep around il, in
which n string tied to hang It up by. One side o.
this quot Is quite smooth and many symbol OF holy
fire often met with in Troy, gravcd on II. In the
same place hundreds OF spndles nearly all made OF
beautiful blue stone, without any ornament, were
, found.
, II appears that the Myccnnans musicians, os
fragments OF finely ornamcntcd Tyre and OF flute
made of bone nave been lourd; also fragments OF a
crystal vase and and wooden comb Very often are
found smooth pieces of baked clay, with painted
, craven ornaments, which wcrc probably used TO
decorate the inner walls OF houses.
CycLopRAN DWELLINGS.
A At depth OF from ten to eleven and a half feet
i sometimes ut six and halt icev cyclopean houses
arc discovcrcd they butt OF rough stones with
out limo or earth, and stand sometimes at depth oil
. twenty feet the solid rock. More remarkable hero
than even at Tryns the aqucduc,s There they arc
cut in the natural rock, while here they built
r tho ground. They are of soucs roughly hewn, and
wit hout lime. 1t Is impossible 10 conceive how the
water along wtho Ut escaping through the crevccs
n THE GRAVES
Stll further have been found many graves, Is
seen by large slabs OF limestone which mark each
tomb. Some of these tablets are plain, other,
II have anaglyphs OF priceless value TO III,
), urchirolcgisL A remarkable one has carve,
e In the centre warrior, lance IN hand
\ standing on chariot drawn by horse who's,
Il widely extended legs show his great speed; the wheels
= oil the chariot four spokes forming bclov
~ Is seen stag pursued by dog on either side arr
Is very strange ornaments, having probably symbocA
nj meaning ON another slab there is also IA warrio
m standing on u chariot IN his lett hand he holds
IN broncsword in his right long lance which is plccln
the neck OF "a fantastic wild animal which Is runnin
ne very quickly, aud much resembles the hons tn
or cn,e The difference that this beast has
OF ms tail erect as the lions heads wanting, VIII
d. knows II they also horncdy In front III
er with his Icu hand he holds the rigl
NV horn of tho beast, which partly con,cals TIA
horse IN the cbhrloI pt"'hu VIZ eu"rot - cnrou