Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-02-08
schIiemann's discoveries.

WHAT lie FOUND IN THE ToMBs At MYCENK--
THE STORY OF HIS REMARKABLE ExPLoRA-
TIoNs.
The following interesting account, in brief,
of Dr. Settlements excavations at Mycenw is
condensed from his book ON the subject, re-
Gently published
In February. 1874, he began the work by
sinking thirty-four shafts in different places,
in order to sound the ground and discover
some clue. Two of these shafts, within 100
yards southward from the famous Gate Of Ii
ons. struck upon Cyclopean house-walls, and
unearthed n sculptured slab resembling n
tombstone. Here was sufficient encourage
ment to continue but the excavations were
interrupted. and more than two years elapsed
before they could be resumed.
Finally on the 7th of August, 1876 DIR.
Schliemann returned to Mycene, with sixty
three workmen. and began work near the Gate
of Lions. To Mrs. Schliemann who is a
Greek lady, and wholly shares her husbands
passion for research. he allotted the task of
uncovering the buried treasury near the gate.
The soil was almost rs hard as stone and the
huge blocks which were hurled from the walls
proved to be very serious impediments, espe-
cially as the only satisfactory plan of explora-
ton was to dig down to the bed rock, the orig
inal foundation of the walls. As this, at ma
ny points, was between thirty and forty feet
below the present surface, the arduous ma
ture of the labor without the aid of machine
ry. may be imagined. DIR. Schliemann chose
rs his own special task the excavation Of n
space ll3 feet square, beginning forty feet
within the gate. The medals and fragments of
pottery found in the upper stratum of soil sat
isfied him that the city had been re-occupied
after its destruction by the Argives in B. c.
iGS. The new settlement appears to have
lasted from about b. G. 400 to b. c. 200; but,
since the circumstance is not mentioned by
any historian, it was probably a small and po-
| litically insignificant community. The ques-
ton thus started is interesting but not im-
| portant.
As the excavation deepened, terra Gotta
vases of elegant form We're unearthed, then
| implements of stone and bronze, and finally
sculptured tombstones, the latter evidently
! belonging to the prehistoric age. In Septem-
| Der DR. Schliemann increased the number OF
| his workmen to l25, and added four horse
! carts. He very soon came upon second
wall of inclosure. twelve feet high, and com
posed of parallel rows of large closely Joined
| slabs of calcareous stone. Within the inclos
| ure he discovered great many idols of Herr
| (Juno), and two more sculptured tombstones
| The objects thus unearthed constantly in
creased in interest and unusual character Fng
IN Gotta idols, with cows heads. symbolic de
signs-very frequent among them the cross
| hatchets of bronze, gems of agate, beads, nnC
| basalt mOulds for ornaments, came rapidly Il
light. and stimulated the explorer. On thu
| 9th of September he writes: Mrs. Schlie
mann and | superintend the excavations from
morning until dusk, and We suffer severel,
from the scorching sun and incessant tempest
which blows the dust into the eyes and IN
flames them; but in spite of these annoyance
nothing more interesting can be imagined thai
the excavation of prehistoric city of immor
tai glory, where nearly every object, even Il
the fragments of pottery, reveals new pag
of history"
TIE work advanced much more rapidly a
the bed rock, which was lowest near the wall
of the Acropolis, began to rise at a short dit
tance from them, so that the depth to be eX
cavated finally diminished to l3 feet. W
cannot follow every detail of the work.
fact, since DIR. Schliemann's narrative is i
the form of letters, written at considerable in
teryals. il is quite difficult to ascertain the oi
der of his discoveries but, by the Both @
September 1876, the inner wall of stones ha
been traced in its full extent. 1t formed
complete circle, composed of a double row c
slabs. slanting inward at an angle of 70 d,
grees. Upon this double row, six horizonti
cross-slabs were found in their original place
firmly fitted to their supports by deep groove
cut in the stone. There could be little quei
ton, now, of the meaning of thrse remains
The circle was an GgOTG or forum, for publ
assemblies, about 100 feet in diameter, an
surrounded with seats, the supporting slal
of which sloped backward for the convenienC
to the feet 1t is to the right of the Gate {
Lions, which its entrance faces, not quite IL
feet distant, and Immediately under "A gran
Cyclopean tower, the remains of which sti
exist. But within this agora, on the side
nearest the wall of the citadel, there were fiy
, tombs-a very unusual circumstance, but NJ
without precedent among the Greeks, fC
; Pausanias, in describing the city of Megari
says; Here they build the place for counci
/ in order that they might have the tomb of h
I roes within the place for council" The Erecl
} theion, on the Acropolis of Athens, is anoth,
3 instance.
/ The tomts were discovered by excavatir
on the site of the sculptured tomb-stones pr
viously found DIR. Schliemann does not a.
Q pear, at first, TO have suspected that the
might be those mentioned by Pausanias b
' his labor was already sufficiently rewarded
9 the multitude of objects in terTa-cotta, glas
( agate, bronze and even wood, which we
e brought TO light from day TO day, and all
5 which unmistakably belonged TO the earle
period of Greek civilization. At the end
/ October, Dom Pedro of Brazil, sudden
made his appearance, examined the dgOr
I, dined in the Treasury at Atreus, and then ro'
e over the hills TO Corinth leaving the explor
j. in a very happy frame of mind. The wo
4 was zealously continued through the month