The morning call., 1893-08-27
RELICS OF TROY.
A Priceless Collection of Idols, Drink
ing Vessels and Weapons.
Washington Post.


Trojan relics of priceless value and high
antiquity have reached Washington from
the New York Custom-h house. which will
form one of the most interesting collections
presented TO the Smithsonian Institution for
many years. They were dug from the ruins
of Troy by DR.. Schiemann and must have
passed through the mighty conhagration
which the legend says ended the Trojan
war. The meaning and associations of
these are of surprising interest, for until a
few years ago scholars and learned men
believed that The heroes of Homer and
Virgil, who fought at the dawn of history.
existed only in myth and story. The dis
eovery worked revolution in classic his
tory. These interesting objects are made
OF many materials, of which stone,
bronze. ivory, marble. terra Gotta aud
bone may be mentioned. There are
1SS III all. They include a variety of arti-
cles, such as weapons, idols, vases, urns.
knives, daggers, pine, whorls, drinking
vessels of elaborate designs aud patterns,
rings, jugs and bullets. The whorls.
which are the most numerous of any
objects in the collection. had Il peculiar
use. There are eighteen of these. They
are circular shaped. vary from one inch to
three inches in diameter aud are made
of stone highly polished ana ornamented.
They formed very essential part
of the rude spinning wheel which the
Trojan matrons of that day used. Then il
was fashionable for all women to spin.
and even those of royal blood, who fro m
the walls often watched their friends and
favorites in tie battles on the plains be-
low, could def1tlY twist threads of great
evenness aud uniformity.
The drinking vessels excite the greatest
curiosity. A few of the names as they ap-
pear in the original catalogue will show
what a variety nf than thaFa is frhara
globular jugs, lustrOus jugs with incised
Ornamen tation, two-handled goblels two
handled jugs. two-handled cups, One-han-
died cups, lilliputian jugs, bowls and other
vessels. These are of various sizes Some
hold as much as two quarts, and some no
more than a thimbeful. The double
handled g0blets. of which there are three,
are OF curious construction. They stand
about six idches high and have on either
side long, slender handles reaching from
top to bottom. They hold about the same
quantity as goblets OF the present day. A
broad, shallow bowl in the collection NAV
have been used in the sacrifices TO hold the
sacred meal which was the custom of
Greeks and TrOjans to throw over the ami
NAL about to be sacrificed. Besides the
drinking vessels there are many interest
ing vases. One OF these is tripod vase
about ten inches high which was made to
stand upon three short legs. Another ia
a vase of mythic style, and third
is Ornamented with strange lines
that portray q likeness of the face
OF a woman. There are other objects
of terra Gotta, of which three halls. OBJ
long and pyramldal weights, one idol, one
bead and one ring are the most important
There are many curious pieces of marble
quantity carved which were very essential
in the economy of the Trojan religion.
These are as thin as waters and grotesQuely
shaped.