Year: 1864

THE RECENT REMARKABLE DISCOVERIES IN


THE BURIED CITY.


Some time since we published brief
account Of the discovery of human re-
mains, In a state of good preservation, in
house in Pompeii Interesting partic-
ulars of the recent researches of the buried
city are given by a correspondent of the
London Atheadcum, who says that the
human bodies were found in an excava-
ton near the house called that of Albion
DANA. Falling in mass Of pumice
stone, these unfortunate persons had not
become attached to the soil and it was
easy to cut, away the ground beneath
them but above FIRE, ashes and hot mat.
ter had been rained upon them from the
fiery mountain, catsing their death, and
insuring their preservation for nearly two
thousand years. On removing the debris,
which consisted of the roof and the ashes
that had fallen into the interior of the
house, something like human form was
discovered, though nothing but fine pow
der was visible. 1t occurred to Cavalier
Florcli that this might be kind of sacro-
phagus created by Vesuvius, and the
within were the remains of one of the
victims of that terrible eruption. But
how to remove or preserve them? A
happy idea struck him Plaster of Paris
was poured into an aperture, the interior
having been discovered to be hollow in
consequence of the destruction of the
flesh, and mixing with and uniting with
the bones, restored to the world Roman
lady of the first century.


Further researches led to the discovery
of male body, another woman, and that
of young girl; but that which first
awakened the interest of the excavators
was the finding of nincty.onc pieces Of
silver money, four earrings. a finger
ring, all of gold, together with two iron
keys and evident remains of linen bag.
These interesting relics have been now
successfully removed, and are lying in a
house not far. distant. They are to be
| preserved III Ponlpeii, and four bronze
tables, of an antique fashion, are prepar-
ing for theirreception. - ~


The first body discovered was that of a
woman, who lay on her right side, and
from the twisted position Of her body, had
been much convulsed Her left hand and
arm was raised and contorted, and the
knuckles were bent in tightly; the arm
was broken, and at each end Of the frag-
ments the cellular character of the bones
was seen The form of-the. head dress
and the hair were distinctly visible. On
the bone of the little finger Of the left hand
were two silver rings, one of which was a
guard. The sandals remain, or the soles
at least, and iron or nails are unmistaka-
bly, to be seen. Though the body was
much bent, the legs were extended as if
under the influence of extreme pain.


In an inner chamber was found the
figure Of a young girl lying on its face,
resting on It's olasped hands and arms /;
the legs drawn up, the left lying over the
right-the body thinly covered over in
some parts by the scoriac or the plaster,
while the skull was visible, highly pol
isbed. One hand was partially closed, as
if it had graspcd something, probably her
dress, with which 1t had covered the head
The ingcr-bones rrotruded through the
incrusted ashes, and on the surface of the
body in various parts was distinctly visi-
bic the web of the linen with which it had
been covered. There was lying by the
side of the child full grown woman, the
left leg slightly elevated, while the right
arm is broken; but the left, which is
bent, is perfect. and the hand is closed
The little finger has an iron ring :; the
left ear, which is uppermost, is very con-
spicuous, and stands OF from the head.
The folds of the drapery, the very web,
remain, and nice observer might detect
the quality of the dress. ~.


The body of the man lay upon its back,
with the legs stretched out to their full
length. There was an iron ring Oh the
little finger of the left hand, which, to-
gcther with the arm, was supported by
the elbow. The folds of the dress on the
arm and over the whole of the upper part
of the body were visible; the sandals
were there, and the bones Of one foot pro-
truded through what might have been a
broken sandal. The traces of the hair
of the head and beard were there, ard
the breath of life. adds the writer, had
only to be inspired into this and the other
three figures. to restore to the world Of
the nineteenth century the Romans of the
first century. They might have fallen
but yesterday, for were there not remain
ing their sanaals, their dress, the very
traccry of their hair? They were trying
to escape from destruction, for the bodies
were found at short distance one from
the other, as if in the act of running.
What could have induced them to remain
SO long, we are only permitted to imagine.
There were three women who, terror
struck, had been unable, perhaps, to act
until aided and urged forward by the
men, 1t may be that, with the attach
ment which binds lis all so closely to our
native place and our hearth, they still
clung to their homes, with the hope that
the storm would soon pass away.