Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-07-29
NO.. 81.
RELICS OF ROMAN OCCUPATION
interesting Finds In the Excavations
at Sl'chester, In England.

The result of last summers labors In
the excavation of the Roman city of
Silchester-about ten miles to the
southwest of Reading-may be seen in
the rooms of the Society of Antiquari-
ans, under whose auspices the work Is
carried ON. The committee has been
Systematically engaged with this labor
Tor SIX successive seasons, none of
which has been more fruitful than the
last as regards both the structural re-
storatlon of the city and individual
finds.
About half the area-100 acres-with-
in the walls-has been thoroughly ex-
plored, but 1t is anticipated that sew
eral more years work will be required
before the Romano-British city can be
regarded as completely disclosed. An
expenditure of at least $4,000 year Is
needed for the work, which in some re-
spects is of unequaled archaeological
and historic interest, as nowhere else
have so many houses, temples and pub
lie buildings of the period been discov-
cred, and no other place has yielded n
forum or n Christian church, and with
some justice the committee claims that
the exploration of Silchester is the be-
ginning of the history of the civil oc-
cupatton of Britain by the Romans.
The excavations last year were be-
gun on May Z, and continued with no
break, except for harvest, until the
middle of October. An area of about
three and one-half acres was examined.
on which were two insulae (XIlI. and
NlVo, of which insula XIII. was clear
ly shown to have been occupied by the
dyers, who, according to previous dis
coyerles, worked in this portion of the
city.
The real interest was centered In
insula XIV, which was almost en-
tirely covered by the foundations of
two large and important houses. The
western house of the two was of the
courtyard type, but different from
others of the kind in having the fourth
side, which is usually open or nearly
closed by n wall, covered by n range
of large chambers with mosaic floors,
some of the mosacs being of large size
and good workmanship and in such
good condition that three out of four
were taken up and properly mounted
for future exhibition at the Reading
museum.
The eastern house also disclosed re-
markable examples of beautiful mosaic
pavements and rich panels for the
walls.
Another pavement was interesting,
both on account of the coarse work
manship, indicating a late date, and
also for the pattern, which marked the
position of the table and couches in the
triclinium, of which it formed the floor.
The most remarkable feature, however,
in this house was the small chapel con-
tanning the base of detached shrine
for the household gods, feature not
hitherto found at Silchester.
One of the most interesting discov-
cries was that of a block of wood
through which passed two large and
perfect lead pipes, while the chase for
another was cut in front This ar
rangement, it has now been ascertain
ed, represented when complete the
force pump, described by Vitruvius as
the ''machina ctesibica." This is be-
lieved to be the first example of Ro-
man hydraulic machinery discovered in
Britain.
The most beautiful of the finds is n
small pillar-molded bowl of deep sap
phre blue streaked with white and
yellow spots, which fortunately has
beeen perfectly restored No other
complete example of this kind of i'm
ported glass has hitherto been found in
this country.-London Times.