The Washington herald., 1906-12-10
EXCAvATING HERCULANEUM.
POmDeIi Finds of Small Importance
In Comparison

From the New York Evening Post
one cannot doubt thar the foreign
scholars who have labored TO make This
great archaeological enterprise possible
will have favored position as asso-
ciates in the work and as investigators of
the finds. For a layman it is difficult
to realize the Importance Of this project.
so far have the sensational discoveries
at Pompet dazzled the popular imagi-
nation.
From the point Of view Of art. how
ever, all that has been found at Pom
peii Is Of slight Importance compared
with the results Of casual excavations
at Herculaneum- The remarkable Greek
and Greco-Roman bronzes that are the
pride Of the Naples museum came from
d single villa at HeTCulaneum. The few
scraps Of wall painting that gave a hint
Of the dignity Of Grecian painting have
the same origin, but are relatively OBJ
scured by the Shower examples of
plasterers' work from PompeH The
ruins Of the latter city have not furnish
ed single manuscript HercuIaneum
practically unsearChed. has already given
up a large library-medical and scien-
tihc, 10 be sure. further investigation
may bring US substantial additions To
classical literature. In short. when we
look at GreCO-ROman antiquity through
Pompeii, IL is as if some thirteenth-cen-
tury archaeologist should Judge Ameri-
can civilization from the remains OF
Saratoga or Long Branch, whereas
Herculaneum viii represent the polite
tastes of early imperial Rome Further
more. POmpeii had been greatly dam
aged by earthquake and flimsily rebuilt
in the taste of the decadence before II
was overwhelmed by the falling cinders.
but Herculaneum. when the mud rolled
over it, still kept intact the treasures
Of the most cultured Romans-HelIen-
izers Of the generations of LUcretius and
Cicero
The value Of these hidden treasures. the
widest imagination is not likely To exag-
gerate. The history of archaeology hard
iy affords a parallel The excavator of
to-day breaks into an unknown Pharaoh
tomb only 10 find that a sneak thief
had preceded him by q thousand years
The Greek marbles of ancient Rome are
mostly in the mortar Of the medieval
city, but here are the summer homes of
cultured Rome of the AUgustan period
and earlier, only awaiting the careful
use Of the pick and spade
As If to provide sgainst such a prize
being enjoyed too cheaply, nature has
locked up in Herculaneum under about
eighty feet Of volcanic concrete. and fate
has wiIled that some twenty thousand
Neapolitians should swarm above the
villas were Roman patricians dwelt in
spacious ease. To uncover Hercula-
neum will be an expensive business. in
volving the condemnation Of much land.
and then the most cautious methods
of excavation. The nature Of the work
dictates patience all around. No one
should expect quick results at the cos
of iTreparaDie damage 10 the beautiful
objects imbedded in the stifrened mud.
On the other hand, we can imagine no
investment Of capital by an art lover
that is more certain to bring handsome
returns. The UnCOveTing Of 4 single villa
like that which contained the large
bronzes of the Naples museum would
amply justify any expenditure likely to
be made. We discern "a peculiar appro-
priateness. too. in fact, that this great
project is to be international in its scope.