The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-30
The Beautiful Ornaments Unearthed
from Ancient TOmbs Near Naples.


within three-quarters of an hour from
Naples), which he has made into a
museum for all the valuable objects he
has gathered from the crowded part of
the metropolis of Suersula already exca-
waited. Passing through fields rich in
produce, and meadows crowded with
young buffaloes and scented with sweet
clover, we arrived at the simple old
country house, which leans against an
old medieval tower.
Ascending a broad staircase, lined
with rows of amphore, we entered a
suite of spacious rooms filled with cases
and tables crowded with rare objects.
1t was difficult to believe that snch a
quantity and variety had been found in
piece of ground not more than about
two acres in extent. We saw vases,
scarabei, ornaments for the neck, brace
let's, rings, brooches, on exactly the
same principle as the modern safety
pin-the sheath which guards the point
being, however, very long-some with
several ends of threads, upon which
hung a few remaining beads, still adher-
ing; and various large ornaments, the
use of which it has not yet been possible
to ascertain. Some of the most SPLEEN
did are the things found in the most an
Gent graves. They consist of articles
made of bronze, particularly personal
ornaments. They are all of e4dlaSte
finish of workmanship, though very
primitive in their figurative decoration
when it exceeds mere straight or wav-
ing line.
Several bracelets which Baron Spi-
nelli caused to be polished shine with
deep luster like that of red gold, and
still possess their elasticity. Some were
found composed for the most part of
pure gold. 1t seems as if the aur0chaleo
so praised by Pliny and others had been
rediscovered. In only one place has a
similar metal been found, that is, in
Corinth; the celebrated mirror with the
representation of Korinthos and Leukas
is made of the same material. The ap-
pearance of these bracelets is, when in
an oxidized condition, exactly similar
to that of oxidized bronze, but the metal
of the bracelets is considerably heavier.
in Naples the dealers in antiquities made
a good business by selling all that they
possessed of similar shape to those eager
to have and wear such ornaments; but
no one could change the nature of the
common bronze, or give to object of
different material the beautiful luster
and elasticity of those made of "Spinel-
lis metal" as it has been called in Ma
pies. Among other things taken from
the tombs of the first period we noticed
large pieces of amber, generally per-
forated.
One beautiful vase. taken from one of
the tufa tombs, was a Greek lekVtbos,
the lower part covered with a fine shin
ing black glaze, the upper with coat
of excessively fine white clay, upon
which figures in outline were designed
with exquisite delicacy. There is only
one vase, found at Nola, which can COM
pare with 1t, the celebrated vase with
the representation of Anesidorus. An
other vase which contained the ashes of
some fatty substance was one from the
mandatory of Heron, the first of that
make found with two names inscribed
upon it, indicating that Makrop.r its
maker, worked in Athens in the atelter
of Heron. 1t is the only one of its kind
and epoch till now found at Suersula,
and it would be premature to draw from
its presence there any chronological con-
clusion. 1t might well be that such
vase had come into the possession in
later ages of one far from the country of
its manufacture. A curious object was
q cup with a cover ornamented with
figures, inside which was the remains of
a balance in miniature; perhaps toy.
The arms and supports of the balance
were OF wood, well preserved; the plates
were made of the two halves of nut.
The bracelets were always found in
pairs, and generally still encircling the
bones of the skeleton.
From the fact that fragments of linen
may sometimes be seen adhering to the
inner side of the ornaments, it may be
inferred that when the corpse had been
clothed in kind of long-sleeved shirt,
the bracelets we put on outside, so as
not to be hidden by the dress. They
are mostly of spiral shape, like SER
pent, and often wind several times
around the arm. They are so elastic
that they can be drawn out to a great
length. Many rings are also spiral, and
so long that they must almost have COW
cred the finger, like the rings worn in
such numbers by the Neapolitan women.
No arms of bronze were found at Suer-
sula, and few of iron-several knives
and daggers and perhaps some lance
heads. The objects from the oldest and
therefore most interesting period give
evidence of people little advanced in
the art of design, yet well-to-do, and
not only accustomed to adorn them
selves with the metal ornaments brought
there by Greek ships, but also to pride
themselves on giving rich trousseau to
their dead on their departure from this
world, and on emitting no prescribed
religious rite. How strange it was, in
that rural and lonely villa, to ponder on
the remains of so distant an age How
wildly they reminded us that the fair
country around Naples has been, ages
and ages ago, peopled, devastated, and
repeopled; as rich in native productions
twenty-three centuries ago as now-per-
haps richer. Every step taken in the
Canapag'ao .telice is a step over graves.
Cor. London Daily Meas.
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