Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-03-21
A GRAVE FULL OF RICHES:

From the Roman Cor. of the London Times
Some peasants at Palestrina have
made discovery of very high archpo.
logical interest. Whose was the sepul-
chre opened at Palestrina is unknown
but 1t Is evident from the construction
OF the tomb, the character of the things
within 1t, and their unparalleled splen.
dor, that the occupant was either 8
royal parsonage of the Silvian line or q
warrior perhaps a warrior priest-ot
hlgh distinction, who lived at the time
when that dynasty held sway over
Proeneste. The best authorities are OF
opinion that the interment was not
later than the seventh century before
the Christian era, but others say the
fifth. Taking, then, this later date, he
whose weapons and rich ornaments are
exciting the wonder and admiration of
all who obtain an opportunity of see
ing them, may, perhaps, have been one
OF the allies of the Tarquins, who fell
lighting for them at the battle of Lake
Regillus.
The tomb was found among those
olive grounds and vineyards upon the
plain at the foot of the hillside UP
which Palestrina creeps. 1t was q rec
tangular chamber, dug in the earth, at
the depth of about two metres from
represent surface, and measuring 5. As
metres in length by 3.92 in width at
one end, and $50 at the other. Its
construction was of the primitive char
acter, its walls being lined with slabs of
tufa, and, although the stones which
covered it have been crushed in, the
contents were in remarkable state of
preservation.
On the walls were hung q panoply of
arms, circular shields of bronze, lances,
swords, daggers, and it would seem,
also, clubs, the weapons of the deceased.
Upon the dOor-but rather to one side,
rs indicated by narrow, rectangular
cavity of about two metres in length,
In which the bones were found--stOod
sumptuous funeral couch made OF
wood and bronze, upon which lay the
body, no doubt gorgeously attired, for
among the dust and bones of the dress
and body and the crumbled wood and
oxidized bronze of the couch were ex-
quisite golden tibula, massive breast
plate or headpiece of solid gold, and
other ornaments of the same material,
The golden ornaments consist of
several fbul@ of remarkable beauty
size and weight, three gold cylinders
dellcately ornamented, q quantity of
wire fringe, buttons, formed of thick
gold leaf upon foundation of wood OF
ivory, q considerable quantity of loose
gold leaf, like so much crumpled
paper, sufficient to fill a good-sized
basin, and the pectoral or head-piece,
whichever it may be. This ornament
is one of the most remarkable examples
of gOldsmiths' work ever found. 1t is
a plate of gold measuring about eight
inches by five, and convex to the eleva-
ton of about half an inch along it's
length, like a board that has been
slightly warped, and upon this stands
in rows, like cavalry drawn up in iue,
no fewer than 131 miniature stat
uettes of animals,-liOns, horses and
chimer@-as perfect in detail and
as completely modelled, almost, as if
they were the size of life. They re-
mind one of those miniature pieces of
sculpture described by Pliny. The
horses are the most exquisite creatures
imaginable, and not only are they cor
rectly modelled in this microscopic size,
but they have trappings of delicate
Etruscan wire work SO minute as almost
to require magnifying glass to distin-
gulsh them. Projecting from the ex-
treme edges of the two longer sides,
facing, say, eastward and westward,
are, first, fifteen birds with human
faces-sirens. Between these birds,
but placed sufficiently far back to be a
second row, are fourteen lions couchant,
with, projecting from the center of
their backs, and in in addition to their
own heads, human heads-sphinxes-
looking in the opposite deirection.
These heads, or rather, busts, occupy
the position where saddle would be
paced. Exactly behind these is row
OF twelve lions, standing with their
tails thrown up in a curl over their
backs, and behind these again, in the
fourth row are twelve lions seated on
their hind quarters. These four rows
Of animals, commencing from the one
and the other of the longer sides, look
in opposite directions, and are divided
by slightly raised elevation along the
central line of the length of the plate
upon which are nine couchant lions,
four facing horthward, while the one
in the center, the ninth, is, in fact, a
lions body with a head at each ex-
tremity. On the backs of these lions
grow heads of goats. It will be OBJ
served that while the creatures in the
first and second rows along the length
are fifteen and fourteen in number,
in the third and fourth rows there are
only twelve. This leaves space at
each end which is occupied by eight
horses facing north and eight facing
south, four on each side of the eleva-
ton along the length.
understood the Italian Governm ent
has decided to purchase the contents
of this tomb at the price of 7O,OOOf.
A Mysterious Pit.
Nearly fourteen miles on almost a
direct line southwest from Bowling
Green, KY, there is a singular and
of VII 80