The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-25
DR.. WaldStein Makes a Most
Gratifying Report of His
LaborS.
A BEAUTIFUL GREEK sToA.
Its Destruction Was fastened by
the Falling of a Neighbour
ing Temple.


school at Athens has Just received re-
port from DR.. Waldstein, who is supervis-
ing the excavations at the Heraion of
Argo.
DR.. Waldstein says that at the end of the
present season the whole of the peribolos
will have been excavated, including the
buildings adjoining the ancient temples.
During this season an immense quantity
OF dirt has been removed, and the work
has been pressed with uncommon vigor
and success. He quotes the Greek direc-
tor of antiquities as characterizing the
work at Argos 1.-The model excavation of
Greece.
DR.. Waldstein also says that he will take
immediate steps for securing for the
American school the sole right to excavate
in the immediate vicinity of the Heraion
for the coming five years. Referring to
the rich discovery of tombs last year DR..
Waldstein says:
"Fhere are certainly many more of
these near the Heraion. The two rock
cut chambers which we excavated were
certainly rich tombs originally, though
they were transformed in Byzantine
times. Along the back of the rock upon
which the old temples stood, and in the
hollow slope above, such tombs may be
found in great number. The method of
discovering them is simple one Narrow
trenches are dug along the whole sides of
these rocks down to the soil. AS soon as
the picks strike worked earth the dromoa to
the tomb is found"
OF the results of this seasons excavations
at the stoa DR.. Waldstein writes:
GAS l am now writing the building is
quite clear. 1t is a beautiful stoa, with
walls of most perfect Greek masonry, of
which four and even five layers are stand
ing, all sound. Within three are nine
Doric pillars. All the pillar bases are in
stu; three have the lower drums, while
one has two drums, the remaining ones,
together with the capital, in good preserva-
ton, having fallen. There are wel-worked
pilasters, one to each alternate pillar The
stoa is about forty-tive meters long by
about thirteen meters wide. 1t faces
toward Argos, and a continual flight
of steps leads up to it. The
temple above it must have fallen in before
this stoa was destroyed, as, especially in
the western half, we found large drums of
the columns from the temple, which had
was there in parts, Uttered with fragments
of marble from the roof, tiles and metopes,
fragments of arms, legs, torsos and bodies,
all from the high relief of the metopes and
two well-preserved heads, one quite per-
feet, with portions of three others. This
stoa is perhaps the best preserved of all
the buildings we have. found, and is GER
tainly one of the most imposing now in
Greece.
On the west of the stoa DIR. Waldstein
found traces of huge staircase covering
the whole slope and leading UP to the
great platform of the temple, forming a
magnificent approach to the sanctuary.
He adds in this connection that the facings
and the markings of certain parts of the
structure in different directions CORE
spond to the change from the Mycenean
to the Argive supremacy.
in further excavations DR.. Waldstein
notes the discovery of walls of the
Mycenean period, together with graves,
vases and small objects. Outside of the
boundaries of the temple he has found
buildings of the Roman period, including
an extensive and complete system of
Roman baths.
vi Vic CACdfdttu LIT, w d1QSCeil
says that they correspond with those
already found. They are worked in Wig
orous manner and are still of such careful
execution that he hardly believes even
those of the Parthenon can rival them in
this respect.
He regards the sculptures among the
most important specimens of the art of the
fifth century B. g.
Altogether about seventy-six baskets full
of vases, terra cottas, bronzes, etc., have
been collected and a number of Egyptian
objects, including scaraba, brought out.
On these DR.. Waldstein hopes the French
Psychologist at Athens can throw some
light.
There are several inscriptions, some of the
Roman period, but in this respect the most
important find perhaps of the whole excav-
alton is plaque about eight inches squa re
with an inscription in the earliest Argive
characters.
DR.. Waldstein closes his letter with an
urgent appeal for the thorough and
graphic publication of the results of the
labor for four seasons at Argos and says:
AS look down from the upper plat
form of the old Homeric sanctuary, ever
tiic cACdSdteu Wills VI Tie HUH century
temple and buildings, beyond to the
Roman baths, ali rising clear out of the
ground, and look over the fertile Argive
plain, pregnant with great historic memo
ries, and realize that this is the national
work of the youngest of the worlds civil
lied states, am filled with deep gratitude
that / should have been allowed to be an
agent in the contamination of this noble
work."
A letter received by Professor Sey-
mour last Friday from Professor r. B.
Richardson describes the work at Eretria
Besides almost completing the excavation
OF the orchestra Of the newly found theater,
Professor Richardson has laid bare large
building, in one room of which stood the
tubs OF the "city laundry" found last year.
1t appears to have been gymnasium,
with floors of different kinds OF pavements,
and another row Of tubs.
In this building were found three heads.
one very fine one of an archaistic
bearded Dionysos, almost the counterpart
of one in Athens; another, representing
the best art of all. probably of the fourth
century, the right side OF woman's head.