The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-15

Ting uiSu ldiluScdpeS, HOW1nS water anu
flowing plants; on either side OF a door
leading into smaller apartment are two
griffins seated on baskets and apparently
engaged in Matching.
FRESCOS OF FRESH COLOR.
On the southwest side of the palace we
find another and larger paved area lead
ing to what appears to have been the
principal portal OF the structure, as distin-
guiShed from the royal entrance on the
eastern front. We enter a long corridor,
on each side of which are a series of
| frescos representing male and female fig
ures arrayed in rich costumes. Unifortu-
nately, in many cases only the lower parts
of the bodies have been preserved, but a
large fallen piece shows the figures OF two
men to above the waist, d1aped in
long flowing nantes. On the left
side of the central figure is
woman, distinguished from the
rest by her wide fiounces and evident
ly a queen. In room near the northeast
corner were found parts of fresco IN an
entirely new miniature style, showing
groups of deliberately dressed young wo-
men, seated in what seems to have been
the haremlik Of the palace and engaged
in animated conversation. Most interest
ing of all is the well preserved form of q
graceful youth or maiden-it is no! easy
to determine the seX-holding aloft a, tall
a sacIdficial procession. The color is still
| wonderfully fresh and the outlines are
| clear and we'll drawn. A strange fascina-
| ton is attached to the beautiful lifelike
figure, this visitant from long forgotten
| world, recalled to the light of day and the
| gaze of mankind f: ON the night of three
| thousand years.
! On the same side Of the palace are also
! the royal magazines or storerooms, ap-,
! preached by long corridor which leads
| to a succession Of twelve apartments. In
| many OF these stand rows of enormous old
vases five feet in height some highly
| ornate and finished with numerous small
handles through which ropes or bands
were possibly drawn; one had a pair of
handles on the inside perhaps intended
! for the insertion of a strap to counteract
! the pressure when the vessel was full
! Beneath the floors of some of the cham,
bers and passages are curious receptacles
| OF closely fitted stonework, one above the
other, apparently designed for the con-
cealment of treasure or the storage of
! supplies in case of a siege.
But of ali the discoveries hitherto made
| in the course of the excavations the most
important is that of the prehistoric; Cree
tan script by which the long debated
question of the existence of writing in the
gMyeenaen age has been definitely solved
A series of signs, both Of the linear and
of the Photographic class, had already
been, observed on early Cretan seal stones
and other objects, which suggested the
! conclusion that a regular system of writ
ing was in use among the prehistoric Gre
tans. A number of clay tablets have now
been brought to light bearing inscrip-
tons in the indigenous linear character,
and upward Of thousand examples
have been secured. These tablets, which
were found at various times during the
excavations, are in all probability palace
archives or lists of stores and munitions
of war in the royal arsenal; some Of
them are illustrated with representations
OF chariots and horsess heads. Within
the last few days of the opera tons a new
discovery of extraordinary interest was
made. A deposit of clay bars and per-
forated tablets was unearthed Inscribed
with Photographic characters resembling
the Egyptian hieroglyphics and corre-
spending with those already found on the
early Cretan seals. Thus we obtain CON-
elusive evidence that two distinct sys-
TENS CT writing-the linear and the plcto-
graphc--were employed III the island
during the ''Homerc" age.
1t is impossible to describe at present
isSre than few of the other interesting
ceJects found in the course of the excava-
lions. Numerous remnants of the Stone
Age, OBJ eidan tools and specimens of ear
some at the lowest levels, others in the
| immediate vicinity of the walls having
apparently been dug up when the founda-
| tfons of the Mycenaen buildings were be-
| ing laid. These indicate the existence of
a still earlier city on the same site A
| vast amount of pottery of the Mycanaen
/ and geometric types has been obtained
! together with specimens of the peculiar
| Cretan ware Of which the cave at Ka-
mares has hitherto supplied the best ex-
| amples. Among the numerous handsome
! stone vases are several of the graceful
| tapering form depicted in the fresco al
ready described. A remarkably Iife,ike
| head of a Mnl9ssian hound executed in
| the finest white marble some noriated
holdings, very de'icateIy carved and
| beautiful clay ever, with spiral ornamAn-
tation may also be specially noticed TIE
crowning discovery, however was made
in the last few DAYS of the excavations
when the remains of a printed strcco b,l''
a marvel3usly realistic work. w3re
brought to light in the northeast PROXY
laea. The head, which is Fortunately IN
perfect preservation. is unique ti9nably
the most remarkable specimen OF NV
cenacn plastic art as yet discovered.
Here we have. perhaps, the efiigv of the
beautiful animal which won the heart of
PasiDhae. of the equally famous
suadruped that transported Eur pa TO
Crete.