The times., 1899-06-25
EXCAVATIONS AT ROME.
Results of Recent Archaeological
Work in the Forum.


When the Pelloux Ministry was formed
at the end of June, and Signor Baeelli be-
came Minister of Public Instruction. it was
assumed by archaeologists that something
would be done to push forward the work
of excavation and arrangement of the
classical remains in the Forum Magnum.
and that the well-known enthusiasm of
Signor Bacelli for all that belongs to the
history of Rome would be sufficient TO
overcome the objections certain 10 be
raised on the score of expense.
| remember walking around the Palatine
Hill one hot morning in July and hearing
the speculations of the guardians and the
cieeroni as to what could be done if Signor
Bacelli had his way, had enough money at
lis disposal, and remained long enough in
office to carry through his plans.
Signor Bacelli did not disappoint expect
atoms, but a great proportion of the credit
for the discoveries lately made is due to
Signor Boni. Venetian engineer and arch
itect, who is animated by a passion for
archaeology in general and the Forum in
particular. The means at his disposal
were small, being only 5000 lire Qess than
200 pounds). and when it is seen what
Signor Boni has done for that amount, in
conjunction with the fact that the gilt let
ters. placed on the Pantheon during Sig
nor Bacelli's last term of office cost 800
pounds, ii will be admitted that on the
present occasion Italy has obtained good
results at a cheap price and with an abb
sence of jobbery.
First of all, below the floor OF the Temple
of Vesta four brick walls were discovered
(probably built in the time of Hadrian),
which form a kind of chamber. Searchers
for marble in the sixteenth century may
have spoiled one of the walls. The cham
ber is supposed to have served as a de-
pository for the ashes of the sacred fire,
which were taken from the temple once a
year.
No discoveries. properly so called, We're
made on this side, which stands at the
northwest corner of the house of the Yes
tails. but the inscribed frieze with the
capitals and bases of columns and piIas-
tiers were replaced in their original posi- g.
tions.
In the neighborhood of this monument
the really important discoveries began. In
front of the temple was a wall built OF
tufta. Between that wall and the hemi-
cycle of the front wall of the temple was
found the core of the base of the honorary
column, which, after Caesars murder. was
set up parent patriae. This column was
built of the marble known as gallo antico
The core of the base is made OF concrete
| formed with chips of gialla antico and of
gray Carrara marble. The fact of this
| base being in concrete seems to show, ac-
cording TO some archaeological authorities
that the fragments now found must be a
reconstruction and not the original one
as concrete was not used at the time Of
Julius Caesar.
Several fragments of the reconstructed
Temple of Julius Caesar have b-en foun
in retaining wall which forms a kind of
embankment to that side of the Forum
They seem to have been built into the wall
indiscriminately, as were also several
pieces of the Basilica Emilia. One of these
fragments, nearly a cubic yard in size. is
very finely decorated with a bulls skull
or boucranion. The wall or embankment
in which these blocks have baen found
must be made up in great part of similar
ly interesting remains. but excavations
have had to be suspended on account of a
protest lodged with the Government by the
dwellers in the wretched little houses
which stand on the brow of the embank-
ment itself. The only way out of the off
iiculty would be to have money enough to
appropriate these tumble-down buildings
and remove them. Here is a chance for
wealthy archaeo.ogists to intervene. buy
the wretched novels, and make present
of them to the archaeological authorities