The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-09-19
ADVERTISING RATES
A FURRY IN The
WORLD OF SCIENCE.

WORLD OF SCIENCE.
The Di c0yery of a Monument OF Pre-.
historic Days Sets Cur Arch9ol0g-
lists Wondering.
The last year OF the old century
some assert that It is the first year of
the new eentury-will be famous for Its
| excavations.
More things Of historic interest have
been unearthed this year than were
supposed could possibly exist in the
| lives of the ancientsi
According to the famous archaeolo-
! Eist, Sig Giacomo Bont, wonderful
monument recently unearthed In the
! Roman Forum is the oldest piece of
engraved stone in Italy. the Oldest
monument in land where every stick
! and stone IL a fragment of antiquity
whose very dust Is elassie-here Is
something for the representatives of
mushroom civilization to marvel att
Al the instigation of Sig. Guido Bac-
cell. Minister of Public Instructions"
the leading arehaeoiogists and classical
students of Rome and of all Italy are
now engaged In deeiphering the In
serlptiOns whose discovery they consid-
er a historical event.
The riddles on this antique monu-
ment have not yet been completely
read. The untold centuries Of Its un-
foreground sojourn have partially
erased it's strongly carved lettering.
Moreover nations have developed
and declined. learned tongues and for
| gotten them again since these SEN
| fences were framed. Before venturing
| to read them man must have spent
| his life in learning.
Nevertheless. the scholars who have
undertaken the task have succeeded
marVellouslY. AND they agree that the
monument was erected and inscribed
! during the reign of Numa Pompllius,
I second King OF Rome of whose good
ness and wisdom every schoolboy can
tell the story Many scholars. previous
To the discovery of this monument,
would have told you that there never
was any Numa pompilius. that the.
story Of the first seven Kings of Rome
vas harmless. semi mythical elahur-
| alton of something much more COM
| monplace
IT'S DISCOVERY.
This monument bears out history 50
| far as to prove that there was a good
| King Numa, who FOR the enlightenment
| and guidance of his people framed
many wise laws. Certain of this law
making. that which related to the rel-
gious and moral aspects OF Roman life,
he relegated TO the priests. And IL was
the heads of certain college of priests
who wrote these laws to be set up
where all Rome might see and obey.
/ n Ia If Kxtt ~ gti
cherish the pretty myth of the ancient
founder of their clty-Romulus. the
VOLTS founding interested In the
fact that the monument now attracting
50 much attention was found directly
under Romulus supposed tomb.
The site of this tomb has long been
| supposed to be marked by the "I.apls
Niger" a broad piece Of pavement.
made OF antique black marble.
II Is almost under the arch Of Senti-
mus SeVeTus. in the northwest corner
Of the Roman Forum Excavations be-
meath the Iapis Niger were begun only
recently under the direction of Sig.
Baccelli.
The discovery Of the monument.
which lay very deeply buried. was not
made until a few months ago. 1t was
found IN three sections-two enormous
originally served to support the colos-
sal monument and at the east of these,
the middle and top sections OF the mon
ument No Illustration could give an
idea Of the vast size OF the original pile
of stone which must have dominated
the entire city and oil its surroundings.
Near the fragments of the monument,
fmbedded IL soft sandstone. were found
other relies which strongly illuminate
the life and customs Of the Pompllan
period Among these are bronze figures,
terra Gotta urns and bronze disks and
ornaments and bas-relefs, all in fair
~ good state Of preservation.
One of the most curious features Of
the Inscription on the monument is
that It is written vertically. The char
acters are notifications of the ancient
Greek, and the lines are to be read
from right to left These difficulties are
slight. however In comparison with the
fact that the grammar and construc-
ton are at variance with all accepted
rules Of Latin grammar and with the
preserved literature Of Rome.
Language had not crystalliZed into
grammar or grown into Literature in
Numa's time
CURIOUS LAWS.
1t Is agreed, however that there are
about six laws, each bearing on the ne
cessity of a moral life. and several ex
alting the majesty % Jupiter. Th"a
connection with the principles and
practices attributed to Numa is plain.
and many of the later laws of Rome
may now be clearly traced to these-
There they stood, craven on deathless
stone, In the heart Of the great city,
where whole nations must read them.
The scholars who have read these laws
were asked also why monument Of
such colossal size should have been
found in sections lying wide apart. No
ordinary phenomenon would account
for It.
These learned men decided that there
was evidence of deliberate and very
violent work of destruction on the part
| Of the Romans themselves. History
tells that Numa laws were written on
ablets, but that these tablets disap-
1eared before the time Of the republic
Sig Boni and his associates believe
hat the demolishing of the monument
was regarded as act OF sacrifice.
Some apgFy deity no doubt demanded
lbey
But however great the loss to the
Romans Of that remote time. IL is says
he archaeologists, more than compen-
sated for by the gain to modern his
orical knowledge. When the letters
IN the stone are fully deciphered they
viii probably be accounted one Of the
most valuable historical documents IN