The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-07-25

found the skeleton OF a young female,
supposed to be that of the fair being
who was enshrined in this retreat with
so much privacy and magni6cence
She had four rings on one of her hands.
set with engraved stones, five gold
bracelets, two earrings, and thirty-two
pieces of money were found lying near
her. Close at hand were found the
skeletons of three other females, sup
posed to have been her slaves.
The villa of Diomede, immediately
outside the walls, judging from the ru-
ins left, must have been an extensive and
magnificent establishment, decorated in
the highest style of art and embellished
with statuary, paintings, fountains,
bathing-rooms and gardens. Beneath
the portico, and below the level of the
gardens, was the wine cellar, a long
archway not less than 100 feet in length.
A long row of wine jars, encrusted in
lava, each about four feet high, stands
in this vault. On the night of the erup-
ton the owner appears to have lost the
love of kindred in his effort to save his
own life, for his skeleton was found,
and that of an attendant, near the
garden-gate, the one still holding in
his bony grasp the key of the villa,
while the other was carrying purse
containing 100 gold and silver coins,
and some silver vases. While thus en-
deavoring to escape to the sea-shore the
members of his family had taken refuge
in the wine cellar, where seventeen of
their skeletons were found near the
door, as if they had attempted to re-
trace their steps after finding that the
place afforded no sufficient shelter from
the fiery tempest. From the gold brace
lets on the necks and arms OF nearly all
of these skeletons, it would appear that
they were mostly females. Two were
the skeletons of children, whose skulls
still retained some strands of beautiful
blonde hair. After they had persisted,
probably from suffocation, the floor of
the cellar was inundated with fine al
luvium, saturated with the hot water
that poured from Vesuvius, which hard
ened upon the bodies and took casts,
not only of their forms, but of the most
delicate texture OF the linen they wore,
and of the jewels which adorned their
persons. One cast Of a young girl in
the museum possesses exceeding ele-
gance of form, the neck and breast es-
pecially arc perfect models of female
beauty. We also examined the spot
where the skeletons of mother and
three children were found, all closely
folded in each otEer's arms, which were
decked with gold ornaments, deliberately
worked, and enriched with pendent
pearls of great value.
OF all the temples in Pompeii, that of
Isis attracts the most attention, for the
reason that it figures so extensively in
Bulwer's "Last Days of Pompeii." 1t
was here that Arbaces performed his
miracles and enslaved the minds of the
people. The court presents all the ar
engagements for that worship. In one
end is the s'sacred well of lustral puri-
fication," to which there was a descent !
by steps. Near it is the altar, upon
which were found the charred bones of |
n human victim, who was figure of |
Harpocrates, with his fingers upon his
lips 10 enioin silence upon the worship |
ers in regard to the mysteries they |
might witness. In another part was a |
figure of Isis, in purple drapery, partly |
gilt, holding a bronze sistrum and a
key. In one of the rooms a skeleton |
was found holding a sacrificial AK, with |
which he had cut through two walls in |
the attempt to escape from destruction,
but persisted before he could penetrate |
the third The subterranean passages |
and the secret stairs by which the priest |
could obtain access to the interior of |
the altar, and deliver the Oracles as ii |
they came from the lips of Isis herself,
were examined with interest.
The barracks near the Herculaneum |
Gate were undoubtedly the headquarters
of the defenders of Pompeii. Four
skeletons were found in the guardroom !
with their legs fastened in iron stocks.
In the neutrality-suspicious. there were
helmets of bronze and iron,
with bolts, lances, swords, leather belts, |
etc. In the rooms of the officers above |
we're found helmets of various kinds, |
with swords, as well as various articles |
Of female ornament of the richest kind, !
leading to the supposition that the wives |
of the officers lived in the barracks with |
them. Among the female ornaments
found were two necklaces of massive |
gold, one of which was set with twelve
emeralds; several gold rings, earrings |
and bracelets containing precious |
stones, gilt pins for the hair, and chests
Of fine linen and cloths of gold. One
Of these upper rooms contained eighteen |
skeletons of men, women and children.
The total number of skeletons found in
the barracks was sixty-three.
The excavation of Pompeii is still |
under an annual appropria-
ton of S12, COCOON. Baltimore Anseri-
can.