The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-10
THE CRETAN EXCAVATIONS.
Remains of Civilization That Was
Old When Homer Sang.


ION Feb. "A last" says Arthur ].
Evans in the London Times, writing from
Gambia, Il was able. thanks TO the gen
erous assistance given through the Cretan
Excavation Fund. to resume the work of
excavation in the prehistoric Palace of
Knossos.
Those who have followed the former
course of the excavations may remember
that their result had been to uncover an
eastern wing which seems TO have been
mainly reserved for state and religious
functions, business and storage, a great
central court. and beyond it TO the east
part of what seemed to be the royal resi-
Dental quarter. Al the close of last sea-
sons work a staircase had come TO light
here leading down by a triple fight TO
hall with double tiers of colonnades. and
beyond IL a larger columnar hall or Me-
garon. On the upper level north of these
ran a corridor beneath which another cor
responding passage of lofty dimensions
has now been cleared out, originally lit by
large window opening on the light well
of the larger hall. The clearance of this
marked by the discovery of a very
extensive deposit of inscribed clay tablets
ing about 100 perfect documents dealing
with palace accounts. The decimal system
is here much in evidence, and large pro-
portion of the tablets deal with percent
ages. With these were several large clay
Impressions of what must certainly have
been royal signet ring, exhibiting a god
dess and her attendants, of which a coun-
terfeit matrix was found last year in
other part OF the building-a proof that
fraudulent procedure was not unknown
even in the household OF Ainos.
"A very interesting feature of the newly
discovered hall, which will be specially APP
preciated by Homeric students, is a private
staircase opening TO its north wall and lead
ing up by double flight to upper rooms.
On the west side of the hall opens a pas
sage leading 10 what must have been the
most secluded part of this residential quar-
ter of the palace. Here again remains of
the upper floor levels are we'll preserved,
and a stone bench is still in its place
against the wall Of one of the upper rooms.
The innermost Of this group OF chambers
have as yet been incompletely excavated
but the work here has already been produc-
tive of some important results. At one
point are remains of what appears 70 have
been a wooden staircase the upper part of
which was found literally choked with bro
ken seal impressions, from what must GER
tainly have been secretaryS office on the
upper floor. One of these Impressions.
though only a fragment, is of great interest
as bearing part OF the impress of a late
Babylonian cylinder, thus supplying direct
proof of correspondence with the East a
very remarkable feature of this quarter of
the palace is the elaborate drainage sys-
tenn. The well paved floors underlaid
by quite a network of stone chanpeS, in
places crossing each other at different
levels, and roomy enough to allow a man
to crawl along them. A succession of stone
shafts leads DOWN to these from the upper
story, in one case apparently connected
with latrine, of which curious and in
some respects very modern example also
occurs on the ground floor In another part
of the palace sections of a terra Gotta
drain pipe have been found OF a most ad-
vanced form, provided with stop ridges.
ION the eastern slope of the hill the limits
of the palace have extended themselves
beyond all anticipation. A good deal of
denudation has here taken place, but
among the finds are remains of a large
architectural fresco with realistic imitation
Of veined marble, and store jars more ca
pacious than any yet brought to light. A
stone spout jutting out from "A neighboring
wall and connected by conduit with an
oil press above explained at once their
contents and means of filling. Further
down and here forming the outer eastern
boundary OF the palace, are massive lines
Of supporting walls; at one place five and
within another at intervals of only a foot
| or So an0 bastion with ascending flights
| of steps fanked by curious water runnes.
THE remains already brought to light
| cover an area of about five acres. and their
| exploration may be said 10 have opened
| 10 the eyes of history, a new world, al
| ready ancient when Homer sang, but pre-
senting a civilization in some respects
| strangely modern. 1t would seem. indeed
| as IL the brilliant and unexpected character
of the finds was likely 10 maintain itself
| 10 the last. The exploration, now proceed
| ing, of the basement spaces within the up
| per eastern terrace has brought TO light
| below the level of the later palace walls
| belonging to a still earlier royal dwelling
/ Within these were fine painted vases OF
| the older class, the decorative designs and
elegant contour of which sufficiently at
| test the high artistic development attained
| here in this still more archaic period. Ir
| this early stratum was also found a minia.
| ture vase of gold and porcelain, the Thin
| ble-like receptacle of which may have con
| tanned some perfume as precious as altar OF
| roses.
| Here. too, as if to illustrate the con
| tinuity of the local cult, were remains of Z
| miniature pillar shrine of painted terrs
| Gotta with doves perched on its roof. Blu
one OF the later palace Easements at Z
| slightly higher level than this, containe,
| an architectural record of still more uni
versal interest. This is the remains of
| mosaic, consisting OF small porcelain
| plaques which in its original form seem,
| to have represented scenes disposed n
| various zones recalling the subjects o
| Achilles shleld-the walls and houses O
| city, river, vine and other trees war
| riors with bows, spears and thrown,
| sticks. besiegers and defenders and Variou
animals. But the most surprising part o
| all are the houses of which the city is com
| posed. Fragmentary as are their remains
| ii has been possible TO reconstitute about ;
| couple or score OF these. The varying char
acter OF the structure-stOne timber an,
plastered rubble-is accurately reproduced
and the walls, towers and gateways-;
whole street of MinOan city rises befor
US much as il originally stood But VIVA
IL even more surprising than the fact tina
the elevations OF these prehistoric struc
lures should be thus recovered for us fnts r.
from the CUFFS Of time is the altOgef he
modern character Of some of their features
Here are three-storied houses (some of IN
semi-detached class showing two contigu
Gus doorways), with windows of four pane
or double windows OF three panes each
which seem 10 show that the inmates a
the houses had actually some substitute 10
| glass"
Where Negro Is Novelty.