The morning call., 1893-05-29
HERAION OF ARGOS.
DIR. Waldenstein's Archaeological
Researches.
He Writes of Valuable Discoveries of
Examples of the Earliest Ho-
meric Grecian Art.
Special to The MORNING CALI.

NEW YORK, May 2S.-Dr. Charles Wald-
stein writes to the Archaeological Institute
of America from the Heraon of Argos that
the results of his excavations there this
spring have exceeded his anticipations.
He says he first completed the excavations
of the earliest Homeric temple, clearing
the whole platform OF the cyclopean sup
porting wall, which had always been visi-
bic. Immediately below the surface the
diggerS generally came upon masses of
porous stone, split into small fragments by
the heat of the conf1agration which took
place 423 B. c., owing 10 the negligence OF
priestess of the temple. Below this they
came uDon continuous layer of charred
wood and other materials. with fragments
OF pottery and melted bronze fused in to
one mass, and below this again they fire.
quently came upon whole nests or pokels
of pottery in a good state of preservation.
I'VE find" he says, "seals and objects in
bronze and other materials, which / be-
lieve will prove of the greatest interest
and Importance. inaSmuch as we may be
able to show that these objects antedate
the construction of the temple, which is
undoubtedly of the Homeric period. The
relations which these finds hold to those of
Myeena, Tyryns and Hissarlik will, l
trust, finally close the controversy concern
ing the date assigned by Schliemann and
hi, followers and by Flinders Petrie to the
Myceu@n works. by giving definite evil
dence in favor of their early ascription
I'VE have also cleared away the whole
hills ide between the first and second
temple below the cvclop pean supporting
wall and are down on the native rock.
Besides, an interesting stoa, the steps of
which, with portions of the columns. are
in stu, is now cleared, and we have found
large buildings connected with the bath
and water supply at the west end of the
stoa, while 10 the east three buildings of
the later Hellenic period have been laid
bare, in comparatively excellent preserva-
tinn and OF great interest. About these
and Immediately below the cyclopean
wall there are the remains of rude walls,
beyond doubt belonging TO an early house.
which L believe to have been the dwelling
of the prizes tesses of Hera il the earliest
| times.
I'VE have eXcavated the ground all
about the south side of the foundation
walls of the second temple. built about
420, b. c. AT the southwest slope we came
upon the new building, which is of exquis-
ite masonry, with a considerable portion
of the walls standing, on the destination
of which do not now venture TO express
myself Immediately in front of these
walls. at a depth of about four feet, we
found large portions of all parts of the
entablature Of the building itself massed
together, and to our great joy we discOv-
cred manifest traces of color upon the
corniceS, triblyphs. metopes and other
portions of the Doric order, which will
now furnish undoubted evidence with re-
gard to one disputed point Of Greek Poly
chrome architecture.
"Of the different single works of art dis
covered during these excavations | can
hardly give you nm adequate idea. l Can
only say that we filled sixty-three baskets
with smaller objects, while there are a
large number Of marble works and frag-
ments, and that these objects range in date
from the earliest prc-Homeric works
through all stages of Greek art down to the
Roman period. Besides a large mass of
important vases, there are great number
OF terra-cotta figures, among them a COM
plete series of heads of Hera from the
earliest date through the best fifth GEN.
tury art. There are number of engraved
stones and seals. some probably manifest
ing hitherto unknown early Indigenous
art. while others are importations of Phn-
| nician and Egyptian ware. There are also
| objects in ivory, amber. bronze, lead and
other materials, all of the greatest inter-
estD