The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-18
THE EXCAVATIONS AT ROME.
Results of the Recent Archaeological
Work in the Forum.


at the end of June. and Slgnor Baceli be-
came minister of pubic 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
Sgnor Bacelli for all that belongs 10 the
history Of Rome would be sufficient co
overcome the objections certain to be rats
ed on the score of expense.
/ remember waikiug around the Palatne
hill one hot morning in July and hearing
the specula TONS Of the guardians ana the
9iceroni as to what could be done If Signof
baceh had h way, mad enough money
az his disposal, and remained long enough
IN office 10 carry through his plans.
Signor Baceili did moi dsappo.ut eNpec-
tauons but great proportion of the credit
Tor the discoveries lately made is due 20
Signor Boni "a Venetian engineer 0nd
architect who is animated by a passion
Tor Archaeology in genera. and the Forum
IN PARTICULAR The means at his disposal
were small, being only 5000 lire Qess than
tSOV, and when Il Is seen what Signor
Boni has done for that amount in con
Junction with the fact that the gilt letters
paced on the Pantheon during gnoe Ba-
Ge'lts last term of office cost $500, IL will
be admitted that on the present occasion
ltaly has obtained good results at a cheap
price and with an absence OF iobhery
FIRST or all below the floor of the Tenn
pie of Nesta four brick walls We're discOV-
drianl, which form a kind of chamber.
Searchers for marble in the sixteenth CEN
Jury may nave spoiled one of the walls.
Inc chamDer Is supposed 10 have served
as depository for the ashes of the sacred
hre, which We're taken from the temple
once a year.
No discoveries, properly so called, We're
mace on this site. which stands at the
northwest corner of the house OF the Yes
talS, but the inscribed frieze with he cap
ttals and bases of columns and puasters
were replaced in their original positions.
In the neighborhood of this monument
the really important discoveries began.
In 'front.' of the temple was a wall built
of tufa Between that wall and the hem
icycle 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 sformed with chips
OF glallo Hntico ana of gray Carrara mar
bic. The fact of this base being In con-
crete seems to show according to some
archaeological authorities. that the trag-
ments now found must be "A reeonstruc-
ton and not the original one, as con-
crete was not used at the time of julius
Caesar
Several fragments Of the reconstructed
Temple of Julius Caesar nave been found
in retaining wall which forms a kind of
embankment to that side OF the Forum.
They seem to have been built into the
wall Unfortunately as were also sew
eral 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
been found must be made up in great
part of similarly interesting remains, but
excavations have had 10 be suspended
on account OF a protest lodged with the
government by the dwellers IN the wretch
ed little houses which stand on the brow
of the embankment itself. The only way
out of the difficulty would be to have
money enough TO appropriate these tum-
ble-down buildings and remove them.
Here Is a chance for wealthy nrchaeol-
ogsts to intervene buy the wretched
novels and make present OF them 10
the archaeological authorities.
Niger Iapis In Comitlo locum funestum
Significat ut ali Romuh mont destinatum. -
wrote Festus, the commentator of the
writings of Flaccus. The Comitium was
a kind of open-air lobby or Sale des Pas
Perdus for the Roman Senate. Near the
Comitium Signor Bont found black stone,
or rather a pavement of black marble,
three meters seventy-iye centlmeters by
four meters in extent. The slabs Of blact
stone are very thick The pavement IT.
self was protected by a curb of trayertno
or ordinary Roman stone, and IN the
fourth or fifth century marble fence was
erected around the curb, which evidently
implies that some tradition Of sanctity
hung about the spot. AS the use OF black
marble for such purposes Is most mus
ual, there can scarcely be any doubt that
this black stone Is what was called IN the
old days 1.-THE Tomb OF Romulus" The
origin of the stone is still uncertain. In
order 10 settle the question as to its geoioS-
one fragment polished--a process which
has rendered ID perfectly evident that the
stone Is marble. Whether tt came ffom
Greece or from the Pyrenees Is uncertain,
but in many chateaux In Savoy ] remem-
Der having seen chmney-pieces made OF
marble from a quarry IN the savoy APPS
Of precisely similar black marble. with
veins arranged in exactly the same way,
except that they were yellow In color IN
stead OF being white, like the veins of the
Niger Lapis." Explorations are being
carefully made under the Niger Lapis IN
the Forum, and Signor Boni is convinced
that constructions Of some kind exist be-
meath 1t. What they are Is not yet Ger
tain but we shall know before long.
found numerous medieval wells, whlch
are being pumped out. These Wehs are
lined with fragments OF marble, mueh OF
Il ninth-century work, probably taken
from the original Church OF Sergio and
Baeco. These wells show how short the
supply of water must nave neen W me
diaeval Rome. The Tiber was putrid, the
aqueducts had been cut. and wells were
sunk close 10 the Cloaca Maxims, the main
sewer of Rome.
road which bounded the north side OF the
Forum has been laid bare. This ROAD was
known 10 exist, but had never Deen eX-
posed Signor Boni Is inclined 10 think
that IL is the original Via Sacra, ana that
It's discovery Will neeessitate important
notifications in the topography OF the Fo-
rum.
In addition to these important discover
les much work has been done. The base
ment of the Temple Of Saturn has been
strengthened with iron bars. which were
much needed. One OF the fourth-century
honorary columns has been set W asasn'
and another one viii soon be erected. Ihe
opening into the Cloaca Maxlma has very
wisely been closed The entrance 20 the
Forum has been changed, and In future
visitors VIII no longer descend over the
platform Of the Temple OF Castor and Pol
lux, as has been their path for many
years but win go down by new stair
case on to the Vicus Tuscus-that street
where the Etruscan merchants had their
shops and sold incense, looking glasses
and dainties, wrapping uD their wares
according 20 Horace-With the verses OF
the minor poets The Church Of Saints
Cosmos and Daman, originally the Tenn
pie Of Romulus. win be redeemed, restor-
Cd to les original form, ana probably used