The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-25
RECENT FINDS ~ THE ROMAN FORUM.
rrof. Rodoifo Lancinni Tells OF tho Latest
Excavations In the Atrluni vestale.

Tho Minister OF Public Instruction. Guido
Bacceiii. IL no anKious to make an advance In
the direction OF tho Forum JulIum aud the
Forum Augustum. and to open up fully tho
Senate house. now represented BY tho Church
OF st. Adriano. that the work OF excavation il
carried on without intermission by day and rs
night,
FRS: OF all must speak OF the "rrostglio."
or hidden treasure. OF gold y. cces discovered ON
the 18th In a branch drain, near the west
corner OF the edlce. adjoining the church oi
81. Maria l.iheratrce. II consists q nearly tour
hundred Hurel, which must have been thrown
into the drain in n leather bag, or done w IA
piece ot cloth, on the occasion OF OLe OF I'll"
narbaric invasions OF the last quarter Of the
ruth century. The Oldest com Gates from the
sms %L Ea'Es hHs S0'a anT nowS e2 the
figures Of Rome and Constantnopie supporting
a shield. with the tGsnd Gloria rriruOl,cTi'
son of Constantus Ill. and Gala rIacid.a.
as.ociated e the emntro T. D. 80; slain ny
those coias shows the Emperor crushing, with
his right foot the head Of "a dragon. ami hold
ing the sign OF the cross with one hand, tho
| the greatest number Of coins-threc hundred
and more-beIong 10 the Emperor Anthc-
MUS. son Of PLocop,us. sam by his SON in.law,
Ntcmner, In +07. The rarest set u p!l is one %
nine pieces with the eflisy and the name of
peror Marcinnus, and wife o; Anthcmius lie
| markable, also. are some aurei OF Linus Sew
Msf S; HHi poisonei by Aspar in 49, whls
| preparing an expedition against tho Nandals
The latest pieces IN the chronology Of the
crowned in 49,. whose death took place in 4I4.
II Is dinicult TO connect the burial oil this
| lar event in the history OF the barbaric inroais
which marked ID" end of the Fiuh century.
/ There is no doubt, however that the gold was
! thrown into tho cesspool under the apprchen:
sion 9, an impsnd.ns p,lIage Ihe blouse , ot
| I'm
into ruin. and the owner OF the gold selected
the hiding place so skilulIy that not only did
hut the owner himself could not recover II
after the danger was over. Isrhaps he lost
was carried away into slavery; perhaps this
wing Of the costers iell 10 the ground aud
the hiding place remained buried under
Discoveries OF this kind are 10y no means n
rare occurrence in Rome. Six Thousand lour
drain near the tomb OF Sul,iciuS rhlOrlnus, in
| the Trastevcre; aud almost as many In 1876 IN
another sewer near the present Piazza di Mag
nanapoli. on the Quirinal, This practice may
help us to explain. to certain extent, the pres;
ence Of an en9rmons mass OF coins IN tho bed
OF the Tibcr During the dredging operations
of the last decade about twelve hundred pieces
per month were brought up to the surface 10y the
been thrown directly into the licor to prevent
their falling prey to the harbarians; but it =
also possible that q lair pcrceutagc may have
been washed down from the sewer, into the bed
| he House OF the NeStalS- M least, tho halt O
II which border, on the Nova Niu-w not 4
healthy residence. It's position. right under
tho shade Of CaliguaS wing OF the lmpcria
palace, which lowered fully on" hundred ana
ility feet above the floor OF tho Atrium, W.,
most uniavorablc, and the cells Oi the grouuC
: ilonr were 80 saturated with damp as to BE-
or rather 10 diminish its effect un the heath a
! Che sisters, two precautions wore taken
poubs and triple walls We're sst M asOinS
! the embark mont OF the Nova Via anC
tho rocky spur Of the Palatine, with
| free space hatwpcn thom to allow o
the circulation OF the air, and the pave
mcnts Ot the cells were raised by two ieet
This last operation was carried ont rather
awk Wnrdly, aud III "a wayuuito characteristic o
the decadencr OF sanitary engineering in Rom,
IN tho coursr Of the Fourth century huS il
| the rooms ON either SIDE Of the THblnum ",
lind the Inter and higher pavement resting oI
largo ealthcn nmphOrp. sawn across int
halves OF equal length OTHERS rest ON hicl
pillars like those used cOmmonlv in the hypO
cuusts: Others on u simple bed Of rubbish
The most remarkable fact Is that when thi,
general raising OF tn" ilpors took place tho
beautiful old uayements ware not taken VI
aud mad" use OF again, but left in a more o
loss perfect state, ut the old level. Two 81
three have luSt been redis"OvsIud and thrl
nre pcrfsct,y benutiiul-so beautiful, In fact
that To ensure their safe keeping the room
have been rooied over against til" effects o
rain and damp. Their pattern is Geomrtrcal
, and the marbles with which they are inmi'
| IoIdlIO parOHdZzrttO. dfriC1nO. DOrtdsnuial mar
monte so perfectly IN color aud shape as /,
please the eye exceedingly.