The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-09-15
AMAZONS PROVED
HISTORIC REALITY

Tho scientific theory that Amazous,
mentioned in acient Greek and Ro,
man mythology, never existed in
fact car no longer be entertained. or
course, explorers nave known that
women of Dahomcy very often were
employed in battle But it has hith-
ogto been believed that no women Of
the Caucasian race ever went into
war in a body.
Italy has lately yielded a find Of
great beauty and value both from
the standpoint of human interest and
Of information with regard to the
prehistoric races that inhabited the
peninsula. The newest discovery
made by Professor Dan'- -Ossa. who
is experimenting the work going on
IN the metropolis OF Belmonte, near
Civita Castellana, q neighborhood
rich in remains Of Etruscan and other
prehistoric civilizations, IS that Of
two tombs Of Amazons, who were
buried exactly like the men warriors
whose tombs have also recently been
unearthed.
The first of these graves measures
nearly Is feet in length. feet in
width, and over 10 feet in depth.
The "biga," or war chariot, placed
over the skeleton, is ornamented in.
bronze and iron, and the yoke is
covered with metal, while the bronze
bits of the horses are intact.
The skeleton, which was in a
somewhat crouchins position, was
literally covered from head to foot
with a quantity of different objects
mixed with the remains of a rich
mantle, all of which mad been formed
by the damp and earth which had
penetrated into a solid mass which it
was difficult to disentangle. Near the
head were found four pairs of ear
rings, formed of amber, threaded
through with metal wire; round the
neck were various collars and chains
of amber, bronze and ivory; while a
quantity Of acOrn-shaped drops were
found which probably had formed a
diadem round the forehead and hung
in tassels over the ears The tomb
also contained two massive torques
Of bronze, one of which is finished
with worked plaque seven inches IN
diameter, and there are also an enor-
nous number of pins in iron and
bronze, some of them surmounted by
horses heads, and one six inches
long, in the shape of dagger.
One of the finest relics found is
a great oval of amber, bearing a de-
sign of two animals, a lion that
seizes a goat by the head, while an
other pendant is of bronze in the
shape of lions paw, with six instead
of five claws, and with the ring still
attached to it with which it was hung
upon a chain or collar. The first pro-
badly had its origin in the Hell
lenic sidereal cult, and NAV refer to
the lion and goat of the signs of the
zodiac, while Professor DALI Ossa
connects the second with the primi-
tive religion of Samothrace. The
tomb also contains ornamental OBJ
jects and quantity of armae-lance-
heads, daggers and a javelin, while
some of the numerous vases of
bronze and terra Gotta would sug-
gest a date as early as the eighth
century B. c. for the tomb.
The second tomb, close at hand.
containing another woman and her
war chariot and many interesting
symbolic objects, was. however, less
magnificent and included a fewer num-
Der of objects. The body was evil
IDENTIFY covered by a long mantle,
fastening down the side with fibulae.
which are still in place.
The discovery of these women
warriors, the first that have been
found, is great archaeological
event and shows that the Virgin
Camilla, Queen of the Volscians. was
not as has been supposed, a poetic
invention of Virgil's, but a historical
reality, the more so that MANY of
the details Of his description tally
with the objects found in these most
the supposed legendar Amazons
was hunting and war; their arms,
the bow spear, axe. And they fought
partly on foot, partly on horseback.