The Red Cloud chief., 1878-02-28
n,.,oyrRY OF ANOTHER POxPEiI.
III. ANCIENT (iiy 81 Sipsntun .
aftrr six Centuries

.nn,L.u, %! IN. London Twas
- Considerable intsTs>, "a
hen excited among the srchro''k
southern Iial, b, reports 81 = late v
60. htr discovery. This wss no'hih%
L.. than the dl>.n,"inhInen' ~ an''"
- pymueii The scene - an 'hs h''S"-
.,,h--i II Manfr-!onia. on nc Ant
- ~.N,t about So mils- north-"c't
=, n1,dfu IN the lo~lyIng grnnn''
xh,-h .,r.trh-. from the f,-'' 81 Monte
I.,-,, - the go anil the anc'eni
CT, whtch has been revealed - spun
,um Already The discoveries have
rough Ia lich; \ Temple II Diana snd
c,lnnair af-ou, ~ feet long. anil AVE
p,r,,,lly EXPLORED an underground ne
rr.u,liS. which seems Ia b" w fe"' ~
o. feet >iuarr. \ portion "i D inst'1P
ton, and numrrou, interesting "h)et''
which were found have been a9T"shs
d-r-,,i,ed in the National Museum ~
N,nl,.. asd the Italian ,,ovcrnm"n'ha -
given the requisite INSTRUCTIONS IN "'d'f
tina; extensive explorations >ha1! at"hV'
ts carried out IN a proper manhr
The disappearance "f >iPuntum "as nov
oNiu, "a shower, uf volcanic ashes.
similar Ia those ihs, buried ~ Nrap"-
Titan sister. bat; Ia a sinking ut the
site ON which i; stood. the effect, prob
ably. uf successive earthquakes III
Wa lucky fate. for IL II Nc on" ~
preservation ia ~ present stale. n
depression has bern 80 great that The
ancient buildings now lie NJ an average
depth If twenty feet h. 10" the level "l
the surrounding plain portion 81
the eni~tin. town of Manirrd"nia y
built over the remains ni ancient spun
tum exactly - pr. >chllcmann found
one town suprrimpo>cd over the Yet rs-
i,ring remains If another nj His>arlik.
Sipuntum Ma originally a Greek colo
nv If unknown date. Tradition. - IN
the case If many other ancient cities of
Apulia. attributed IL foundation Ia pfo-
mric. II WAS old when the Romans
rrsctilcd all that country after the sec
ond Punic war. IL WAS then. probably.
is name took the form 10y which II i,
historically known Tn" original name
Mas Sipu> OF Sipon,. gwen /" 1T most
likely, from the cuttlr-h>h ts'pta) cast
up ON the II, ighhoring shore. Prom
this the Romans formed >ipuntum. IN
the same WAY ~ Tarrniun. ~iiydrnntnm.
aud others. IL Was never very flourish
ing; indeed. Apulia never recovered the
awful devastation of the Funlc a
Still IL managed Ia preserve IT. cNi>tencr,
while other ancient cities wcr" di>ap-
pearing 81 thoroughly tina, no tradition
fingers even Of their site. But by ia"
middle 81 the thirteenth century. We
are told. IL wa~ considered very un-
healthy on account If it, sunkcn posi-
tion and the marshes by which IL was
surrounded: the effect. doubtless. of the
depression nf the ground which had
already established. 80. IN 1881.
Manfred. the son nf the Emperor Frcder-
ick IL. then King If Southern Italy.
transferred the population {" a new
town which hr built in a higher and
more healthy situation. and which WAS
after him Manfrcionia. Thence
forward old NIpuntum was deserted and
handed over Ia the earthquakes. which
seem To have dealt with II tcndcrly. not
rud"ly shaking IT into ruin. but wrap
ping II in clay and tufa sand 81 effect
ivcly - To hide IL away for siN centuries.