The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-04

by hour and retail to your readers.
The history of the buildings il the
Forum can only be known, and thai
merely approximately, by intimate
knowledge of styles, and above all, by
close familiarity with it's various levels
Inc Forum we have all known, it is moi
too much to say, has been chiefly a late
imperial and medieval Forum. Be.
meath 1t lies classic, republican and
! Etruscan Rome. For what was orgi-
nally an extensive marsh lying between
the Palatine, Esqualiue and Capitoline
hills became drained by the skill and
J science of Etruscan engineers
: ThenceforWard monuments began tC
accumulate, and presently the soil be-
gan to rise by the process of additions
and improvements. This continued UNI
til the fall of the empire, and even
later, until neglect, deserton and de-
struction caused it to rise far more rap
| idly, and it became, first, a rubbish
heap for the city, then a quarry for the
popes and princes, and, finally, pre-
| cious and sacred mine for the archaeol-
! gist.
AS nothing illustrates the early rise
of the ground more wildly than init
macy with the "Black Stones" and the
exploration now proceeding around and
under them, 1 shall make no excuse for
here saying something about the locali-
ty and the monumental objects con-
tanned in it.
The first fact that strikes the student
is that the black pavement above does
not observe the same orientation as the
tufa pedestals and other objects below.
These latter observe the more ancient
and more correct orientation, whereas,
to put it as simply as possible the pave
ment, like the Curia est. Adriano) in
front of it, and all the imperial build
ings in the Forum, use the N. e. for
their N.
There is proof at hand, however, that
this was not always so with this black
marble pavement. Under the rough
travertino frame which binds it an ear
lier and similar in part is seen to sur
Vive, and 1t was oriented in few
points more in harmony with the pedes-
tails, ETC.. below The question at once
suggests itself, Has the pavement been
raised and relaid? The answer will be
In the affirmative. 1t has been at one
time in peril of being lost among the
monuments which raised the surround
ing area. For this reason it has been
lifted about two feet bodily, and in re-
laying it the engineers of the empire
have oriented it in keeping with the
imperial edifices around.
In consequence Of this, on descending
under the stones, we see at once that
originally the pavement must have
no+t +oJ
tufa cone, which we met with there
nearly under it's center. Any who re-
collect the famous tomb of Aruns.
near Ariccia Commonly called that Of
the Horatii and CuriatiD, will call to
mind the fattened cones which rise at
the four corners of it's vaulting. The
other truncated cone is precisely SINH
lar to them. Within couple of feet
south of the cone stands the quadrap-
gular inscribed ''ciphus." with bevelled
edges. The inscription of it. though of
extremely archaic (sem- Etruscan)
character, is in Latin, and the word
"Kalatorem" is plainly to be read on
one of its faces No sooner is one in
that recess with a candle than one per-
ceives that the tufa base lines with
unexcavated ground westward, toward
the south end of the Arch of Septimius
Severus.
There will, quite probably, be found
other such ones, and possibly other in |
scribed cippi. But as this cippus is !
broken at the east face of its top and
the inscriptions are imperfect, there is
reason to think it may be more ancient |
than it's fellow objects, and has been
simply utilized there as a support. I |
humbly incline to believe otherwise |
and that it will be found to be most in
connected with the religious |
history of the spot. But the soil |
around and formerly Immediately under |
the black pavement has it's own story |
to tell, and I have no doubt that story |
relates to some great and especial ma
tionaI expiatory occasion. The reasons
will duly appear.
First of all, the whole of this central
portion of the ancient "Comtium" now
being explored rests upon an artifcially
bed made of Jumps of chloe
plate colored tufa. On the top of this
lies fourteen inches Of riverine gravel,
formerly thought to be natural to the
spot, but now ascertained to have been
brought thither from the
Ponte Mole, or the Janiculum. 1t en-
tirely stops with the republican tufa
wall Immediately east of the pedestals,
which was the wall of the Comitium,
north and south.
To this gravel succeeds a layer of the
most interesting character, one foot in
thickness, and of a dark brown color.
It is layer entirely composed of sacri-
1cal material. From it have come the
bones of eighty-five sheep, the jaws !
,calcined) of a young bull, and bones of
goats and boars; terra cottas, including
4 beautiful plaque" found last week,
a horseman attending to
his horse, in low relief, and portion of
/ beautiful painted rose, in Graeco-
style; ten little bronze fig
Tres, four inches high archaic and
in model, and similar
)ut rougher one. representing an Auaur
With his "Lituus," or divining wand;
more than a hundred stone weights,
'ofne rounded, some square, all pierced;
ome bone dice in perfect preservat ton,
hough stained green by having been in
contact with bits of bronze; hundreds
If fragments of miniature clay and ter
a Gotta votive bowls and cups, and,
inally, fragments here and there of the