New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-07
AMERICAN WORK ATCORINrp
SUCCESS OF THE EXCAVATIONS n.
THE BURIED GREEK CITY.
PLANS FOR THE COMING sEAsoS ASn r,,-
APPEAL OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL
INSTITUTE FOR FUNDS


APPEAL OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL
INSTITUTE FOR FUNDS
In January 1885, The Tribune published
muncation from Professor Benjamin Ide Wb..s..
OF Cornell University. at that time professor n
the American School OF Archaeology. al Athss.
giving the first news that the Greek Governm.n,
had granted the school the exclusive privilege A.
cxcavatng al the site OF ancient Corlnth rb,.
fact was stated TO be OF the greatest inpor.ane.
to the school and signal honor to America.
scholars. because the site Of corinth vas believed
TO be OF the most promising opportun,e, N,
excavation or GreeH soil. II was practically On.
touched. and had always afforded many puzzllas
problems 20 the Archaeological Consequently N
offered IN nnequa!led chance for scholars 10 gain
distinction and renown in making important Dis
coveries. Americans were BATTERED b. tho coma.
denoc reposod in them by the Greek Government
IN in;rus,ng to them this valuable privilege. The
expectations thus aroused were not d!sappointsd
Funds were promptly contributed, and the work
which was begun IL thus described In recent cir.
cuiar issued by the Archaeological Institute Of
America. under whose auspices II was carried On:
I'm March. 1896 the American School al AihsaA
under the lead Of It's director. DR.. Ru.gs B.
Richardson, began excavations at old corinth 10
TO that time practically nothing had been dors
toward determining the topography % 2nc!en,
CorIn,h Dr. Dorpfelds work on the site o. the
Old Doric temple had merely served ID determine
the dimensions OF this structure. The excavations
made by the Greek Archaeological Society In lG
under the direction OF the ephor. N. Skas. had re-
suited In the discovery, at the east o. the Vessn,
yilllge of foundations Of private houses and 0!
some buildings which the excavat)r believed jssl
fed him. in consideration OF the apparent course
CT the highways leading from Corlnih 70 Lechagm
in locating the agora near that poini IN this Coo
clusiop ~ Skiss seems 10 have been IN error.
Little remain d 10 guide the pres'Dt excayat.oss
except the remains OF the old D5ric temple and the
course of the aqucducts I, noi even eeraa
that the Roman city which Pausanias saa and h..
scribed was situated precs" on the size % the
Greek city, though II was evident rom fauslnass
words that some Of the buildings WITHIN the limits
OF the Roman city were RESERVATIONS OF earlier
Greek buildings Ia order u Dtil.z" Pausan!sss
account 1t was OF prime importance to discover the
Roman agora For this purpose the determination
OF the site OF the theatre, OF which, sirang. to
say there were visible traces. was 81 great In
portance. inssmuch as 1t IL twice mentioned IN the
account. The Old temple formed no perfectly cor.
tain guide for the double reason that IT, name
unknown and that there was no assurance Ok Is
being one OF the temples mentioned by Pausanias
The only course was therefore. 10 run trial trenches
at spots where there seemed general likelihood OF
finding cews. These trenches. about twenty-five IN
number, dug In various PAGES IN and ABOUT the
present village over an area nearly kllome,er
wide Most Of them. however, were WITHIN - yards
Of the old temple. Though ali, or nearly al. These
branches came upon ancient remains, n3th.ng Offer.
ing any cew TO the topography was found. unit
late In May the theatre was discovered ani about
800 yards from II timely paved way evidently
marking the proximity OF the agora WITH this tht
excavations reached the end of their purely tentative
stage The ecu had been found and the starting
point for systematic work had been definitely as
certained. Exactly what hoped FOR as The 70
suit of the first years campaign had been a;;alaed
The site Of the theatre and the Approximate sic
OF the agora had been found II had also been as.
cer,ained that the Roman city was bulit directly
upon the ruins OF the Old Greek city. A Roman
theatre. for instance mad been bulk directly yer
the RUNS OF the Greek.
The plans for the next year include.
"Frs-rhe cxpropria zion and purchase VI SUM
cient land to enable the excayat9rs 10 lay oars 9
considerable area near the paved way mentioned
the theatre. Land il not dear The Greek Govern
ment nterposes 10 effect expropraton ot al ma y
Two thousand dollars will purchase all tha' Is
needed for the first two years work. =,
reaching in some places fifteen feet requires N he
interest of economical effort the use Of track and
this equipment, which will amply pay for ITSELF In
two years; -. -.
rs cents per day With hundred iaborers, the
usual quota. excayatins VII, cost about s1o per
%sek about samSssn Of e" weeks requires '''e
The need is then as follows: For the purchase Of
EXPENSES, 5000: total. A.JO.
ITO meet this expcnse there !, on hand, from n.
collections OF 1886 about $.Jp For the IT,
mainder. namely, 1900. we must appeal - the
generosity and public spirit Of private ndiyliuas
The American School derives no support from the
State. as IL the case with the German. French and
English schools. the TWO former vi which have each
double the income applicable 10 The support OF he
American School. II We are forced by lack q funds
10 relinquish this great opportunity. the fines. row
afforded by any excavating site outside 81 N'hefs
IL will be quickly taken up by Others. who VIII
wonder why. after all the difficulty. uncertliniy
ard expense OF pioneering. should withdraw rom
so promising an undertaking just success from
the scholars point OF view, il assured
THE council of the Arch9ol Gical institute OF
America invites contributions for the continuance Of
these excavations Corinth under The direction OF
the American School OF Classical Studies AZ Athens
The work should be begun in the latter part Of
March.
Subscriptions may be sent 10 Gardiner NJ lane,
No "a State-st., Boston. treasurer OF the school
Athens"