New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
sCUIJEMANN AT MYCENE.

pans. aud other illustrations. Scilpnci AiIu-
strong q Co.
In This MAGNIFICENT volume we have finally the
story of Or. Schliemaun's last and most important
discoveries He has becn the most fortunate Of
archaeological explorers for even a greater luck
than rewarded him in the Troad has fallen to MS
portion in Argolis. Although directly connected IN
interest tho two places offered very different cond-
tions Of research At TIssarlik. his chief task was
10 determine the site of Troy, question with which
the oxhumed treasures have but slight connection.
At Mvcone there was no such point in dispute the
locality was unqueationed yet singuarly enough.
the remarkable discoveries made there have awak-
ened the doubts OF scholars, not because they con-
fct with the statements Of the Greek VocS. but be-
cause they CORRESPOND with them so exactly! My
ceup is probably one Of the last places in Greece
whore professional scholar would have dug. It's
ruin and des,rtion in the fifth century, b. C.-the
rude simplicity Of ITS Cycopean walls, and ITS two
treasure-chmubers-th hard, unpromiang appear
ancc Of debris, which resemble the stony naiul'l
surfaces arouud-ail these would have probably dls-
couraeed Dr. S,hremann himself, bat for his pre-
vious experience in the Troad.
His first attempt al Myceuw. in fact was merely
governmental and gave no hint Of the wonderful
relics hidden I'M the soil for more than 5000 years
The reason which led him 70 make this examination
shows clearly that his achievements are not merely
The result Of gness-worll and good luck, as some
have charged. The site of Mycene being unoiS-
ru.ed he FIRST carefully studied IT, The vast "
clopean walls Of the Acr0pois, or citadel, ne per-
ccivel distinctly separated the latter from the lower
citv. which occupied q ridge between two TaYlnes'
one n which nearest The AcropOS, was SPAWNED By
q single massive bridge. The remo;eness of the
ulacc. ON q slope of the mountains at the north
eastern corner Of the plain Of Argos, rendered 1t
probable that no further spoliafon had taken place
since its final destruction, $500 years ago. When
Pausanils saw II. about 4. d. 40, 1t had been a
ruin for centuries and presented very nearly the
same aspect as 40 present DR.. Schlicmann, there
fore. turned to Plusanias, whose general trust
worthiness as q traveller Is recognized by all schol-
ars. and based his plan ofrosearch upon the follow
Ing passage:
Amongst Other remains Of tho wall is the gate ON
which stand lions They Che walls and tie satcl arc
said 70 be the work of The Cyciop's VINO hnit ue Val
fountain called Persia aud the sumcrrauean budine'
Of Atr-us o9t ls en- rch ~ iel I'Jl s.o'. H.
tolnhs Of the companions OF Ag2memnon VINO on itif
Tbe ircutty of c tomb VI Cssaudrais called q'cs
ton by the Lace l1mou1nS o. Ahi{c'e. IAeIc rlIt
don ami Of Electra. Tcledamus and Pcous were bur et
in the same srrucre ior is ead jh1t CaS'a9I' pore
n an n - vlte. that Pvlaacs Who was
married to Electra with the consent OF Olcstcs. bad
her two sons Weldon and Suopitus Clytcmucstrd ana
F,stlus we're buried at little distance from tine wall
because they we're thought unworthy 10 have Their tob
inside il. where Acameinnon Ieposd ana tho'e VINO
were killed together with him.
"Thc wall" spoken of by Pau7anias has been
considered by other scholars TO mean merely the
wall of the city; but Or. Schliemaun assumed that
il could only refer to the Cyclopean wall OF the
citadel because. firstly, The palace Of Aeamemnon
must have stood there, and secondly it was the Only
wall which Paueanas saw. This conjecture greatly
limited his field Of exploration, and ultimately led
10 his marvellous success. l. February. 1874 be be-
l. 81. NsrFH
ent places III sound the ground and discover
some clcw. Two OF these shafts within 100 yards
southward from the lannon's Gate OF Lions, struck
upon Cyclopaan house-walls and uuearthed a sculp-
tured slab, resembling a tombstone. Here was sli-
fcient encouragement to continue; hut the cxcava-
tious were interrupted, and NOR than two years
elapsed before they could he resumed.
Finally on the 9TH Of August, 1876, DIR. Schlie-
mann returned 10 Nlycenn with sixty-'hree work
men. aud began work near the Gate ~ Lions. To
Mrs Schlicnann who is Greek lady. and wholly
shares her husbands paSsionfor research, he allotted
the task Of uncoyeIing the buried tr 5uTy the
gate Tie soil was almost as hard rs stone and 10.
huge blocks which were hurled from the walls
proved to be very serious mpcdments, especially
the only satisfactory plan Of exploration was 90 dig
down 10 the bedrock, the original foundation of the
walls. As this, 40 many points, was between thirty
and forty feet below the present surface the ardu
Gus nature OF the labor without the aid of machn-
CRY, may be imagined DR.. Schliemann chose. As his
own special task the excavation of space 10 feet
square beginning forty feet within the gate The
medals and fragments OF pottery found in the upper
stratum OF soil satisfied HIM that the city had been
reoccupied after its destruction by the Argves in b.
G.. 4Gs. The new settlement appears to have lasted
from about p. G. 100 TO b. G. 200 but, since the
circumstance is not mentioned by any historian, il
was probably q small and politically insignificant
y Il e