Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-13
IN TUNIS WATERS.
Wonderful Marbles and Rronzes
Taken From Sea Bottom,

From the Barbary coast, that abode
OF pirates, comes a delightful tale Of
treasure trove, surprising gold and
jewels, rescued from the sea- The
place is Tunic, which family marks
the site of Carriages empire, now I'M
der the control of the French, who have
established there the usual administra-
tive officials, among them director of
antiquities. That office is doing excel
lent work in the exploration of Garth
age and it's district and deserves the
| remarkable good fortune that has at
tended it's marine venture
Some time ago the wreck of an an
cient ship was located by fishermen in
fairly shallow water off Mahdia The
stretch of sea intervening between that
coast and Sicily-Malta lies in twas
2 great highway of commerce between
east and west in ancient days, one of
the two paths by which seaborne
freights between Greece and Rome
could pass. From Barka to Tunis that
coast, the region of the Syrtes aestuos-
as, with its storms and shadows, with
its record of disasters, was infamous
in classic literature. M. A. Merlin, the
director of antiquities at Tunis, decided
that it was worth while to find out
what there was in the ship and divers
were set to work last summer.
They discovered q treasure much like
that which was fished up from the tip
Of Greece. off the island of Cerigotto, a
few years ago; seemingly shipload of
the plumber that Lucius Mummius or
his successors stripped from Hellas af
ter the conquest. The brief summary
of what has been brought to the sur
face on one season will make the
mouths of archaeologisrs and art lovers
water. Marbles of great artistic worth,
bronzes in profusion and even parts of
the ships material equipment.
/ The bulk of the cargo consisted of
marble columns, most of them about IS
feet long and 25 inches in diameter; the
uivers brought one up so that it's archi-
tcsture and ormamentatiOn might be
inspected There are besides many
marble statues. busts and other cary
ingS used in construction, and many of
these have been raised up, whole or in
pieces. All the marble, naturally. have
suffered from the barnacleS. Among
them are a statuette of the hunting Ar
tennis, faun, ten heads of satyrs lar
ger than life. Statuettes of women and
of children, a tombstone relief showing
six figures in a funeral banquet There
are four immense milk Jars with q bac
CHS relief running around them equal
to the Louvre. There are also inscrip
lions which r-ovc that the vessel sailed
rom Attic and enabled an approximate
date In be set.
The bronZcs arc likewise numerous
and are chiefly of the character of
PARTS of buildings or of furniture; an
Eros that served for a candelabra, a
fine head of Athene with the helmen,
Artemis with her CULVER, masks of
bearded men and bacchantes. heads of
animals, a sprnging panther that
serves as a handle, and a number of
beautiful lamps. More interesting even
are the remains of the ship itself; the
anchor; amphoras that held water, oil
and wine-in one remnants of pitch
were left; an earthenWare lamp with
its wick; two handmills for corn-all as
they sank 1000 years ago. And appar-
emily only a small part Of the cargo
has been saved so far.
A new romance is added to the Medi-
terranean: the shadows of the African
coast are almost houndless. and the
sands on the shore have been barely
scratched A golden age seems to be
at hand for archaeology.