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

among which were found a number of golden
buttons with objects of ivory, bone and met
nj. This was very encouraging, and Dr.
Schilemann therefore at once turned his at
tention to the second tomb. We must let him
tell the result
AT depth of fifteen feet below the level
of the rock or of twenty feet below the
former surface of the ground, Ms I found It
when | began the excavations, / reached
layer of pebbles, below which / found, Mt q
distance of three feet from each other, the re-
mains of three human bodies, all with the
head turned to the east and thefeetto the west
They were only separated from the surface Of
the levelled rock by another layer Of small
stones on which they were lying, and they had
evidently been burned simultaneously in the
very same place where they lay. The masses
of ashes Of the clothes which had covered
them, and Of the wood which had paitially or
entirely consumed their flesh. as well ms the
color of the lower layer of stones, and the
marks of the fire and the smoke on the stone
walls, which at the bottom of the sepulchre
lined all the four sides-can leave no doubt
whatever on this point nay more, there were
the most unmistakable marks of three distinct
funeral piles. The wall which at the bottom
Of the tomb lined its four sides, consisted of
pretty large stones joined without any bind
ing material; it was five feet high and
one foot eight inches thick The small
stone with which the bottom of the
sepulchrc was strewn can, in my opinion,
have had no other object than TO procure ven
tliation to the funeral pyre. These could not
have been large, and had evidently been in
tended to consume merely the clothes and
partly or entirely the flesh of the deceased
but no more, because the bones and even the
skulls had been preserved but these latter
had suffered so much from the moisture. that
g Il 4 N.lr.
With each of the three bodies he found five
dadems of thin gold plate fifteen in all, and
also fourteen crosses of laurel leaves each
about . inches long. This was quite suffi-
cient TO indicate the Importance of the de
ceased. We have not space to enumernte all
the other objects found with their remains.
The third tomb also contained three persons,
who from the character Of the bones and the
golden ornaments, all of which bore evident
signs Of the fire and smoke to which they had
been exposed on the funeral piles. were evil
IDENTIFY women Precisely as in the second
tomb, the bodies had been burned simultane-
ously. The ornaments found within them. of
which the most were large, thick circular
plates of gold with exquisite patterns in re-
pOussc work, amounted TO 1Ol in number
The best Of them are givenin the illustrations
and are of astonishing variety and beauty.
Five diadems of gold, several crosses of gold
en- leaves, and some curious objects in rock
crystal, We're also found with these three
bodies
Encouraged by the great success, DR.. Schlie-
mann resolved TO eNcavate the whole interior
space of the dg0rd. At depth Of twenty
feet below the former surface. he found an
almost circular mass of Cyclopean masonry.
1 feet in height by about 6 feet in diameter
1t was indisputably primitive altar for fun
eral rites, and around it were fragments Of
pottery and knives of obsidian. Digging fur
ther, he found that this altar stood precisely
over the centre of another tomb, within
which, on layer of pebbles he found the
bodies of five men The ashes and marks of
fire showed that they had all been burned at
the same time, and, as DIR. Schliemann says,
they were literally smothered in jewels"
The news of the discovery Immediately reach
ed Athens, and the remains We're seen by
thousands of people during the following days
For the first time since the fall of Mycenm-
that is, in 2,3ii years-the AcropOlis was gar
risoned, and the watch-fr kept burning all
night on the high Cyclopean walls. Were visi-
BILE all over the plain of Argos. Ancient his
tory and poetry were revived to protect the
| precious relics from depreciation by the coun-
try people.
We cannot attempt TO give n description of
| the astonishing treasures found in this fourth
eighty pages of text and illustrations to a lin
tied selection of the more remarkable objects.
| All are prehistoric, and many Of entirely new
| design and chancter Among them are bronze
| swords and lances. arrow heads of ohsidian :
| golden crowns, bracelets, greaves belts, but
tons, goblets, hagons. pins and cylinders am
| ber beads. cows heads of silver and gold :
vessels Of copper and lead alabaster vases,
and articles Of bone and wood. After care
| fully securing everything, DIR. Schliemann re-
turned to the tomb he had first opened. the
excavation whereof he had been compelled to
abandon on account of its having become
filled with water. He found that the three
males it contained had all been men Of large
| proportions, but they had been forcibly
| squeezed into a sepulchre only five and n half
feet in length. Although the head of the first
man eXhumed was covered with massive
golden mask his skull crumbled away on be-
ing exposed to the air, and only a few bones
could be saved, except those of the legs. The
same was the case with the second body. H.
thus describes the third
but of the third body, which lay at the
north end of the tomb. the round face with
all its flesh, had been wonderfully preserved
under its ponderous golden mask there was
no vestige Of hair, but both eyes were per
fectly visible, also the mouth, which, owing
10 the enormous weight that had pressed up
on it, was wide open, and showed thirty-twC
beautiful teeth From these, all the physi
clans who came to see the body were led tC
believe that the man must have died at tn,
early age of thirty-fve. The nose was entire
ly gone. The body having been too long fo
the space between the two inner walls of tn,
tomb, the head had been pressed in such
way ON the breast, that the upper part of tn,
shoulders were nearly in horizontal line will
the vertex Of the head. Notwithstanding tn
large golden breastplate, so little had beel
preserved of the breast, thrt the inner side o
the spine was visible in many places"
Two of the bodies wore golden breast
plates, and the tomb also contained bronz
swords with golden hilts richly chased drink
ing cups, silver vases and ornaments, whicl
display the most unexpected art in that re
mote age.
By the sagacity of Greek officer of engin
GERS, whom DIR. Schliemann had engaged, an
other tomb was found outside the circle of tn
dgOya, on the south side. The first blow o
the pickaxe brought n golden vessel, and i
the space of an hour the spoils of Myceni
We're enriched by forr two-handled golde
goblets, one large cup, mass of rings an
| spirals, two golden signet rings with intagli
designs of the greatest beauty, golden lion
and gems of seFpentine and agate. With thi
last splendid piece of trover the work ceased
Dr. Schliemann makes no statement Of hi
reason for discontinuing the excavations, bu
we presume the expense was too great for hi
, own unaided means and moreover, he coul
not hope, by continuing his labors for an
! discoveries at all approaching in value thos
, which he had already made.
} GENUINE REFINEMENT. Refinement is NJ
! fastidiousness. 1t is not luxury. 1t is notl