Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-26

ROME, April 21.-The opening OF
Tu-Tankh.amen's tomb and the
theory, confirmed now by countless
discoveries, that the royal tombs
of the pre-christian and early chris
ton eras are apt to hold all the per-
sonal effects of the deceased or, at
least, those effects which were in
heret to his rank. have revived the
debate whether or not the subsoil
Of Rome has been thoroughly ex.
pored.
Many believe a systematic search
would lead up to the discovery of
many sarcophagus, whose contents
would easily eclipse, from the point
of view of their intrinsic and artistic
value, those found even in the rich.
est of Egyptian tombs.
Local archaeologists believe that,
aside from certain historical spots,
the local underground has never
been explored and that has been
found, was due more to acct
dent than to the expressed purpose
of the explorer.
Professor Ermanno Ponti says
that while it would be useless to
search for the tombs of the Roman
patricians and pagan emperors, as
their bodies were invariably burned,
yet Rome has at least one uneX-
plored metropolis, located nearby
st. Peters, which was the mauso.
leum of all the christian emperors
ond expresses of Rome, who sue
ceeded Constantine, including Theo.
Empress Gala Placida Augusta,
Honorius and probably Valentinian
III. Side by side to them were buried
their wives.
There is no record showing that
these tombs were ever opened. The
mausoleum was torn down to make
room for a wing of the present
church, but the tombs were left I'M
molested.
Treasures in Tomb
To give an idea of what may be
found in them, Professor Ponti
quotes a chronicler Of the year 145S,
concerning the opening of a marble
sarcophagus containing two I'm.
identified bodies brought to light
while digging a grave for a dead
prelate. Inside the marble sarcopha.
gus there was a wooden coffin lined
with silver, which when melted net
ted about S32 pounds of silver. The
bodies were wrapped in a gold blan
ket, which the Pope also sent to
the mint. 1t yielded about thirty
American pounds of gold.
But a list of what was found in
the tomb of Empress Mary Homo
RUS wife, and a daughter of the
Roman general stilicon, will give a
definite idea of what the tombs of
the Christian emperors of Rome
would yield. The tomb came acct
dentally to light in 1914, and when
the sarcophagus of red Egyptian
granite was opened, the prelates and
the high officials of the pontificial
court, as a Chronicler says, stood
amazed at the sight it offered, hard
ly believing their own eyes.
Blankets of Gold.
The body of the empress was clad
in a gold gown, while gold embroid-
cred blankets covered her lace ana
breast. Side by side to the body there
lay a silver box containing 80 small
vases Of chrystal, agate and other
stones, and four of gold. Beside,
there were two cups ana an oil lamp
of gold. A second box lined with
gilded silver contained, according t.
the chronicler, Is rings, a number OF
earrings, small crosses, GOLFERS, but.
tc ms, needles and a small gold bal
which opened like a nut. Every ar
ticle was of gold and of the most eX-
quisIte workmanship, studded with
cmeralds. pearls and other precious
stones. Among the stones there was
a carved one, which bore the like
ness Of Honorius and which was sold
for 500 gold ducats.
But at that tine there was little or