The silver messenger., 1911-09-05

DGAI IhC oOnlC hAAA~'
of western pachisi-board, cover the
mouths Of the old granaries. that are
but round chambers cut In the solid
rock, with walls made smooth by use
of many years. At Citta Vecchia. the
former capital Of the island, old cata-
combs-probably dug out by the Chris
tians for assemblage during the ages
of persecution--underm large
area with their extensive ramifica-
tions.
The remarkable "Hypogaeum" was
discovered a few years ago at Paula.
village about two-and-a-haf miles
from the Porta Reale of Valetta. Up
to that time the known remains OF
such underground workings in Malta
as belonged to remote antiquity only
included some OF the numerous exca-
waited grottoes or artificial caves such
as that near the Church of st. Loren
20, about two-and-a-Quarter miles
northwest OF Hagiar-Kim, circular In
plan, with four columns of the natural
rock left standing when the cave was
made; and the many bell-shaped hol-
lows with circular openings near the
ruins OF Bori-en-Nadur. Professor
Dammit. the indefatigable curator OF
the Valetta Museum. has for the past
year or two been spending the great
er part of his leisure in the excava-
ton and study of the Hypogaeum; and
on recent visit he took me over the
mysterious series of little rock-cut
halls. which are in three stages or
stories, one above another.
He also showed me some chambers
which had not yet been cleared out.
in which the floor was covered by ac-
cumulated debris to a depth varying
from one to two feet. This was COM
posed Of sand mingled with crumbling
pieces of human bones and occasional
fragments Of pottery. The smaller
bones. such as the carpals and meta
,carpals. were frequently perfect. but
the larger ones were generally broken.
The teeth. as in the case Of those H.
Illustrated, are quite unharmed by age,
as are also the patellae. the little tri-
angular bones of the kneecaps. which
Professor Zammit's assistants careful
ly preserve and count as the readiest
means Of gauging the number OF
bodies inferred. The fragments of
pottery were being examined by a rep
resentative Of the British School at
Athens.
Among the small examples of plastic
art which have been found In the
Hypogaeum are reclining figure in
terracotta, and some mutilated small
er figures. closely resembling the larg-
Or statuettes of Maltese limestone dis
covered at the base of an altar in the
central part Of Hagiar-Kim.
There were seven of these statuettes
found close together. one a standing
figure larger than the rest. with curl
Gus stripes and bands about the mid
die Of the body. two in long garments
and four seated figures. apparently
nude. All the figures are headless,
though In two cases. instead of bro
Ken surface at the neck, there are a
worked depression and small holes,
probably serving to fasten in a head.
The workmanship Is not very rude, al
though the extremities are generally
formless stumps. with toes and digits
only indicated in a few cases. These
hands and feet are always curiously
small and attenuated, and contrast
strikingly in this respect with the ex-
treme fatness Of the limbs and of the
other parts Of the body.
Much work has been done to make
q practical approach to the Hypo.
gaeum; and to carry further excava.
tions towards the entrance, two of the
houses built on the ground above were
bought by the British government. In
one Of the chambers there remain