The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1921-09-08

story buildings. with little balconies
al the front above picturesque awning
like projections over the store fronts.
where large doors opened on TO the
street. In the gardens at the rear Of
the houses roots Of what must have
been good-sized trees have been found.
the first evidence that the ancient
city was provided with trees. The
house fronts have been restored doors
and blinds 10 the stores have been
put in place. and in the little gardens
in the courts Of the houses flower
gardens have been set out on their
original lines.
Hard to Get cuards-
The new excavations. which are
along the important Strada dell Alb
bondanzs. had not been opened to the
public at the time Mr. Robinson Wis
tied Pompeii. One reason for the de-
lay was the difficulty of obtaining a
sufficient number Of men to act as
guards TO safeguard the new discov-
cries. The frescoes on the walls, the
contents 81 the houses. and even some
Of the excavated bodies have been left
where they were found instead of he
Ing taken to museums as was the
practice in the work of excavation
done previously, as the Italian au-
thorities have as yet made no an
nounceDent Of the discoveries. Mr..
Robinson would not discuss the ma
ture of new frescoes. except to say
that they are tn remain on the build
ings where they were originally placed.
Previous excavation In Pompeii. not
half Of which has yet been uncovered,
were in the western part of the town.
In this part was the Forum, which
was the center Of the life of the city.
The Strada dell' Abbondnnza ran from
the Forum TO the extreme southeast
ern corner Of the town where the
amphitheater was.
This excavation is In the most in
teresiing part of the ruins says Mr..
Robinson. 1.-The work was begun in
1911 and until quite recently the new
ly excavated district had not been
open to the public. II was to have
been opened this spring. The work
is being conducted by the director Of
the museum In Naples. Professor Wit
tOriO SpinaZzOla. and whereas the ear
!ier excavating was done In a more
or less haphazard manner he has
brought TO the work the most modern
processes in excavation and observa-
lion OF results and has sifted every
particle of evidence as the work pro
crossed so that no data should he
lost. In that way he has succeeded
In recovering much of the original ap-
pearance Of the old houses. which was
lost In the earlier excavations.
Restores Shape of Woodwork.
"Many years ago the process Of
pouring plaster In the space occupied
by a dead body and thus obtaining d
cast was employed by Prof. Spinaz-
zola. He has used the same methods
with carbonized wood, and In that
of much of the woodwork of the
houses. The result Is thar where the
parts of the town uncovered in the
earlier excavations are In the condi-
tion of the devastated towns in
France, only brick and stone walls
newer methods the models OF the
framework, doors and shutters Of the
houses have been reproduced. and the
result Is a much more life-like appear
aDce Of what the town must have been
before II WAS destroyed.
"trom twO-thirds to three-fourths
OF the Strada deli Abbondanza has
been excayated. and Prof. SpinaZZOla
expects 10 continue until the whole
street is uncovered. Prof. Spinazzola
has proved That the houses were two
story structures, while II was previous
~ ~uppo ed that Pompeii was one
story town. and that the occasional
two-st1ry buildings shown In the old
excavations were exceptions. He has
also shown that there were little bal
comics 0verhangng the street. littlc
logglas opening on the streets, as seei
Ia many Italian towns OF today. Mos
~ the houses had shops, with awning
like projections.
Street doors have been restored with
the original bronze bolts snd locks
He does not replace the wood, hut the
doors are put mp In the plaster casts
exactly as they were In the wood.
Closed by Wooden Shutters.
The new discoveries show that the
shops were usually closed on the
street fronts by large wooden shutters
made Of stats which opened aud closed
like modern blinds. When the shut
tiers were closed they were fastened