of antiquity and of the modern times, an object of interest.
The “gate of lions” of Mycenæ, which has been built in over-old
Grecian style, has been known long ago; it gave entrance to the bourg;
Pausanias, who, while traveling in Greece, two centuries after Christ,
visited the old city of Atreus, probably found the gate in a far
better condition than it is at the present date; it was, for him, an
object of the highest interest, and he was of opinion that the Cyclops
themselves had builded the gate and walls. Further, he relates: “Under
the ruins of Mycenæ, is a well, and the under-earthly apartments of
Atreus and his descendants, which served them as treasuries. There
are also tombs; in the first place, that of Atreus, and then all the
graves of those who returned with Agamemnon from Troja, and who, like
he, were murdered by Aegisthus. Only Clytemnestra and Aegisthus have
not been deemed worthy of being buried there; their graves are outside
of the wall.”
Dr. Schliemann, reading this account of the archæologist of antiquity,
had not the slightest doubt but that the history of Greece was more
than a mere tradition, and how wonderfully have his presentiments been
fulfilled!
When we enter the bourg by means of the “gate of lions,” we are soon
enabled to continue on our way through a corridor, which is formed
by a well-preserved stone wall which surrounds a circular plain of
about fifty feet in diameter; the wall reaches nearly to the height
of a person’s breast. On this plain, Dr. Schliemann commenced his
excavations; already at a small depth they found the first traces;
several slabs of a yellowish lime, adorned with ancient reliefs, and
showing that they once had served as slabs on graves. On taking them
away, they saw a broad shaft in the earth, twenty feet long, and ten
feet deep; a second, parallel to the first, followed, and afterwards,
three others were found behind the smaller sides of the first two. Of
course, Dr. Schliemann was bound to penetrate to the extreme depth
of these shafts, and while digging, he found earthenware, and small
objects manufactured of gold.
At last, they came to the extreme depth on a hard floor, and here
three skeletons were lying, at a little distance from each other,
surrounded by innumerable weapons and objects of luxury, partly of
gold, and partly of silver; one of these corpses was distinguished by
exceedingly well-preserved teeth.
[Sidenote: THE TOMB OF AGAMEMNON.]
This was the tomb of Agamemnon and his faithful warriors.
Dr. Schliemann, in his correspondence to the London _Times_, describes
the treasures which he found lying around the bodies, in the following
manner:
[Sidenote: DR. SCHLIEMANN’S ACCOUNT.]
“Among the most interesting objects of this sepulchre I reckon the
magnificently ornamented golden buttons. Twelve are in form of a
cross, and one of them is two and one-fifth inches large, and three
inches long; three are somewhat smaller, and the remaining eight are
of a still less size. Of splendidly ornamented round gold buttons were
found, in all, two hundred and sixteen, two of which are two inches
in diameter, seven are of the size of a five franc piece, and two
hundred and seven are still smaller. All these buttons, the lower part
of which consists of a bone button in form of our shirt buttons, must
have served on the clothes of the deceased, whereas all which show
only a flat piece of bone or wood, have evidently served to decorate
the sheaths of swords, lances, etc., to which they had been soldered
with tin, or otherwise fastened. There were in all found in the tomb,
twenty-five two-edged bronze swords, sixteen of which are in a perfect
state of conservation; four of them had handles plated with gold and
richly ornamented. There were also found with the swords, five large
handle-buttons, four of which are of alabaster, and one of wood;
all of them are ornamented with golden nails. Further, two golden
shoulder belts, which were worn on the shoulder across the breast;
both are four feet long, and one and three-fifths inches broad. There
were further found two large girdle-belts ornamented with circles and
flowers; one of them is composed of two pieces. There was also found
a part of a similar belt, and a child’s golden girdle-belt, only one
foot four inches long, and two and one-fifth inches broad. Further,
a splendidly ornamented golden handle, probably of a scepter. It
terminates in a dragon’s head, whose scales seem to have been imitated
by square pieces of rock crystal, which are inlaid like mosaic. This
is an object of marvelous beauty, of which Homer would have said, ‘A
wonder to look upon.’ There were also found seven large and one small
golden diadems—one of the former is ornamented with golden leaves. All
of them show splendid ornaments of circles and spiral lines. Further,
four golden ornaments of the greaves, almost in form of a bracelet:
one comb of bone, in a large handle, or casing of gold, of the usual
form, as ladies wear it; one enormous, most magnificently-ornamented,
massive, gold bracelet, weighing three hundred and sixty grammes.
In the center of the ornamentation of this bracelet is soldered a
separate piece of gold, representing the sun with his rays. The size
of this bracelet is so enormous that the person who has worn it
must have had gigantic arms. Quite in opposition to the size of the
bracelet are two massive golden seal rings, the opening of which is
so small that they would only fit a child of ten years. I, therefore,
suppose that they may have been used as seals only. One of the seals
represents two warriors on a two-wheeled chariot with two horses,
which seem to run at full gallop; one of the warriors is holding a
bow in his hand, and has just shot an arrow at a stag. The stag is
wounded, and in anguish turns his head. The other seal ring represents
a warrior who has just vanquished his three enemies, and is in the
act of giving, with his uplifted sword, a last blow to one of them,
wounded, and kneeling before him on one knee; the latter tries to
parry the blow with his uplifted hands and with a lance, which he
holds in his right, and seems to throw at his opponent. Another seems
to be mortally wounded, for he lies on the ground, leaning on both his
hands. The third, who alone of all the four warriors has a helmet with
a crest on his head, is flying under the cover of an enormous shield
which reaches from his neck to his heels; but still he turns his head
towards his victorious enemy, and is in the act of throwing a lance at
him. The anatomy of all the men is so well observed, their posture is
so faithful to nature, and everything is executed with so much art,
that when I brought to light these rings, I involuntarily exclaimed:
‘The author of the ‘Iliad’ and the ‘Odyssey’ can only have been born
and educated in a civilization which could produce such wonders. Only
a poet who had master-pieces of art like these continually before his
eyes could compose those divine poems.’
[Sidenote: WONDERFUL GEMS.]
“At the head of one of the bodies was found a large and heavy golden
helmet, but it had been much crushed, and had become nearly flat under
the ponderous weight which pressed upon it. In its present state, it
is difficult to describe it. On its forepart, the openings for the
eyes and mouth, as also a protuberance ornamented with small stars,
are distinctly visible, as also on the top of the helmet, the tube for
the crest. The back part is beautifully ornamented with an imitation
of the hair. The face of the same body was covered with one of the
golden masks which we frequently met with. It seems to have been the
custom with the ancient Greeks, to cover the faces of their beloved
dead, with masks of gold which exactly represent the outline of the
features; probably they did so to preserve the face. We find this
custom back in the wooden masks of the Egyptian mummies. The breast
and sides were covered by a one-foot eight-inch long, and one-foot
broad, thick plate of gold, which was no doubt intended to represent
the coat of mail. There were further found one hundred leaves of
gold, either of circular or of cross-like form, with impressed
ornamentation, consisting either of spiral lines, or of circles.
Further, three very heavy golden breast-pins, of which the one is five
and one-half, the other five, and the third four and one-half inches
long. The last is crowned with a ram, the two others with an ornament
in shape of a helmet, and the heads of all the three breast-pins are
perforated, probably to put in a flower. There were further found two
masterly ornamental objects of massive gold in the form of crosses;
also a large golden vase weighing one and seven-eighths kilogrammes:
it has two handles, a large foot, and ornamented with three upper and
two lower parallel lines, between which is a row of fourteen stars;
further, a large golden vase with one handle, and an ornamentation
representing seven beautiful flowers; another golden vase with two
handles; further, a splendid little golden _œhœ_, or wine can, with
an ornamentation of spiral lines. Further, six golden drinking cups,
one of which is a drinking cup with two handles, on each of which is
a pigeon, each of the two handles being joined to the foot by two
separate golden blades. This goblet reminds us of Nestor’s goblet,
which was also ornamented with pigeons (see ‘Iliad,’ XI, 632, 635).
One of the other goblets is ornamented with parallel flutings. There
were further found two small golden vessels; also, eight silver
vases, three of which are admirably conserved; one of the other has
its bottom and the mouth of bronze; below its bottom were found one
hundred of the aforesaid golden buttons. I further found, in this
tomb, thirteen large bronze vessels. This kind of vessel was in high
esteem in the heroic age, and we see them continually mentioned by
Homer as prizes in the games. I suppose that to each hero were given
in the grave the goblets and other objects which were dear to him in
his lifetime, having been won by him in the games, or having been
given to him by his host as a pledge of hospitality and friendship.
There was also found a large quantity of small perforated amber balls
of necklaces, and a bronze or copper fork with three teeth, which
had probably served on the funeral pyres. There were further found
thirty-five arrow heads of obsidian. Nothing could give a better idea
of the great antiquity of these tombs than these stone arrow-heads,
for the ‘Iliad’ seems to know only arrow-heads of bronze (_e.g._,
‘Iliad,’ XIII, 650 and 662). Probably there had also been deposited
bows and quivers in the tomb, but they would have been of wood, and
would have rotted away. To my greatest regret, among thousands of gold
ornaments, there is not even a single sign resembling writing, and it
therefore appears certain that the sepulchres belong to an epoch which
preceded the introduction of the Phœnician alphabet. Had the latter
been known, the Mycenæan goldsmiths, whose continual efforts appear
to have been directed to the invention of a new ornamentation, would
have been very ambitious to show the novelty of the alphabet. A second
proof of the immense antiquity of these tombs, is the entire absence
of any vestige of either iron or glass, or of any pottery made on the
potter’s wheel. But the hand-made pottery had reached a high degree of
perfection, such as has never been attained here in later times by the
pottery made on the wheel.”
The doctor, enthusiastic as he is with his new discoveries, had the
mortal remains of the immortal heroes taken from their graves, and the
great departed ones received the unprecedented honor to have their
portraits painted by an artist of our day. Of course, the golden mask
was used for that purpose.
The greatest scientific importance of the discoveries at Mycenæ,
lies in the fact that we now make acquaintance with a kind of art
which very nearly approaches oriental representation and oriental
technique. It can easily be seen, from the works of art found by the
excavations, that the artists of that remote time did not care so much
to give true representations of real existing things, but to procure
to dead things, as much as possible, a living, graceful form.
[Sidenote: GRECIAN ART IN MYCENÆ.]
Among the treasures, a golden plate was found, upon which Heracles
is engraved, struggling with a lion. This last engraving, above all
others, may serve as a scientific guide, through the labyrinth of the
treasures of Mycenæ. The struggles of Heracles with the monsters of
the earth, are the property of Grecian tradition; hence, we have not
to deal with Asiatic or India-European art, but with real, purely
Grecian art.
The most precious objects found at Mycenæ, are collected at Athens,
with those formerly found by the doctor among the treasures of
Priamus, and are preserved in the vaults of an Ionian bank.
It is proper that we should allude to Dr. Schliemann’s heroic wife,
of whom, as his most valuable and sympathetic assistant in his
labors, he speaks, as is most fitting, in words which constitute
her highest eulogy. The story of their union reads like a romance.
“Mrs. Schliemann is the only woman in Greece who knows the Odyssey by
heart.” The Dr. once said, before a party of Athenians, that he would
marry the first lady who could recite the Odyssey. A fair Greek girl
appeared one day, unintroduced, and asking if the promise was genuine,
recited Homer, and secured her home. She also secured a wife’s share
of $1,000,000. The two have been faithfully burrowing among its ruins
themselves, and as will be seen from the portrait, she is proud of the
accomplishments of her husband, and wears one of the trophies of his
glory, the head apparel of queen Helena, whose elopement with Paris,
the son of Priamus, caused the Trojan war.
[Sidenote: STATUARY AND ARCHITECTURE.]
It is known that the archæological society of Athens, under whose
direction Dr. Schliemann is now excavating at Mycenæ, and from whom he
has met with no little opposition, besides the difficulties arising
from the nature of the ground, which would seem, to a less resolute
spirit, almost insurmountable, have of late made some valuable
discoveries at Athens. They have cleared away the debris on the south
side of the Acropolis, and have discovered the temple of Æsculapius,
where they have found many bas-reliefs representing the goddess of
health, and two very beautiful marble heads, nearly perfect; also,
some inscriptions of great historical value. They have also found a
Byzantine cave under the rock. This circumstance reminds me of some
exquisite specimens of sculpture seen by me, while in Athens, in my
visit to the Acropolis. From these we return to the recent excavations
at Olympia. These are carried on by a commission from the German and
Greek governments. The latest discoveries announced are those made
on the site of the celebrated temple of Jupiter, consisting, among
others, of a Doric capital, with its abacus in excellent preservation,
considered as belonging to one of the columns supporting the eastern
pediment of the temple, fragments of bronze, and terra-cotta objects,
also, of the marble tiles described by Pausanias as composing the
roof; and a magnificent torso, supposed to be the statue of Jupiter,
one of the group of figures adorning the pediment of the temple. On
the last day of the year, however, a telegram was received by the
king from Dr. Demetriades, announcing a discovery which has filled
Athens with joy. The statue of Niké (Victory), one of the group in
the pediment, has been found imbedded in the soft, alluvial soil, in
an almost perfect condition—as if it had only yesterday been taken
down from its lofty pedestal. It is said to be a figure of unmatched
beauty and grandeur, and what gives it a higher value is that the name
of Praxitiles himself is engraved on it. Thus much is as yet known,
but details are eagerly waited. Archæological discovery is eagerly
pursued in every part of the land, of which it may be said that not
a spadeful can be turned, without revealing some new treasure of its
most glorious epoch.
The objects found by Dr. Schliemann have been forwarded to England,
and placed in charge of the National Bank. They have been placed under
the care of that institution for safety, and will remain there in the
strong room, until a suitable museum can be provided, when they will
all be labeled, and will be exposed, in proper cases, for the public
to see them.
It is a fact not generally known, that Dr. Schliemann is not assisted
by any fellow-enthusiast in the cause of archæology, nor is he in the
employ of any society. He defrays the expenses all himself, and we may
be assured that they are very heavy.
It is but proper that we should allude here to the fact that Mrs.
Schliemann is most ably and energetically assisting her husband in the
discovery of the treasures of the ancients.
[Sidenote: THE SECOND TREASURY.]
The dome of the Second Treasury was broken in, a long time ago, and
therefore it is better known to antiquarians; but Mrs. Schliemann
has now thoroughly excavated, and explored the whole building. While
her husband was excavating within the walls of the Acropolis, she
undertook the excavation of this relic of the past, and the approach
to it, which was formerly completely concealed, is now laid bare. Its
position is close to the Gate of Lions, and it is found to differ only
in slight details from the other one, known as the Treasury of Athens.
The lintel over the doorway is the largest stone in the building. It
is twenty feet long, seven feet wide, and eighteen inches deep, and
a course of large stones of the same depth is carried all around the
walls, on the same level. The diameter of the dome is a little less
than that of the Treasury of Athens, but as there is an opening in
the top, by which the light enters, the view is not so impressive.
The inhabitants of Mycenæ did not seem to be acquainted with the
principle of the arch, as the dome is constructed with courses placed
horizontally. Dr. Schliemann, pretending that Agamemnon was buried
here, calls it the Tomb of Agamemnon; others have named it the Tomb of
Cassandra.
The Treasury of Athens shows the most perfect condition of building
of the ancients. The second, third, and fourth treasuries (there are
four in all), gradually decrease in architectural skill, and we might
almost say of the fourth, that it is nothing but an excavation made
in the soil, speedily covered with rough stones. It is covered in such
a way that a person entering it has to creep on all fours.
For what purpose these buildings were created, remains a mystery. In
the Homeric age, tombs are always described as “piled,” or “heaped
up;” they are always mounds, and the fact of the earth covering these
so-called “treasuries,” is a strong evidence of their sepulchral
character; but the magnificently built accessories would lead to the
conclusion that it belongs to a period posterior to the Iliad and the
Odyssey.
[Sidenote: HECTOR’S TOMB.]
Hector’s tomb is described as the “hollow grave.” This was the
primitive cell, which became developed into an unarched dome. Of this,
many examples are found in the tumuli near Kertch, some of them of a
very large size, and, though different in construction, they afford a
good illustrative parallel. In the structures just described, we find
a developed architecture which seems to have been rich with metallic
decoration. Here all resemblance to the simple cell of the hollow
grave has been lost, and now the foot or two feet of earth, heaped
on the top, is nearly all that is left to remind us of the original
mound, from which this style of tomb had its origin.
XV.
MEXICO AND ITS MINES.
THE USES OF SILVER.—COIN AND ITS ABUNDANCE.—PUZZLES OF POLITICAL
ECONOMISTS.—WONDERFUL SKILL OF THE SILVER-WORKERS.—THE
SILVER PRODUCT.—THE MINES OF MEXICO.—THEIR EXTENT AND
RICHNESS.—GUANAJUATO AND ITS MINES.—THE _VETA MADRE_.—VISIT TO THE
SERRANO MINE.—UNDERGROUND PYROTECHNICS.—THE _VETA GRANDE_.—THE
PACHUCA MINE.—AN OFFER TO THE KING—THE GROUND PAVED WITH
SILVER.—SULPHUR MINERS.—ASCENT OF A MEXICAN MOUNTAIN.
One of the most important of the metals is the one known as silver.
All the civilized nations use it for the manufacture of coin as a
circulating medium, and the consumption of the metal for this purpose
alone is very great. Political economists have busied themselves
with the problem of the immense annual waste from the wearing away
of gold and silver, but thus far they have met with no success. For
large amounts, bank notes—either of the government or otherwise—are in
use, and have many advantages over coin. But for small amounts, gold
and silver have not been replaced, and there is little probability
that they will be. Their jingling makes an agreeable sound, but
unfortunately it reduces the weight of the coin, and wears away,
particle after particle, which cannot be saved by any process yet
invented.
Silver has long been used in the Arts, and its whiteness renders it
particularly desirable for this purpose. Of late years, it has taken
a very prominent place, especially in America, and the productions
of the silver-workers border on the marvelous. At the Philadelphia
Exhibition, the display of silver ware in the American section was
such as to attract large crowds at all hours when the place was
open to the public, and there were few visitors who did not confess
themselves astonished at what they beheld. There was an endless
variety of silver work, from very small articles up to very large
ones. Down to a few years ago, the English and other people over
the Atlantic had almost a monopoly of silver work, and were justly
entitled to a claim for superiority. But at present, the American
workmen are equal to any competition, and some of the ornamental
pieces they have recently turned out cannot be surpassed anywhere else
in the world.
The impetus given to this branch of Art is due, to some extent, to the
abundance of silver in the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevadas, and
the desire to make as much use of it as possible. Some have feared
that the opening of so many silver mines would cheapen the metal, and
cause a great shrinkage in the value of that now on hand, but up to
the present, no such result has been reached. Silver has taken the
place of gold, for many uses, and if matters go on in the future, as
they have gone in the past, the demand will long continue to equal the
supply.
One of the foremost silver-producing countries in the world is Mexico,
and its fame extends a long distance into the past. The metal was
known to the ancient Aztecs, and was worked by them, with exquisite
skill, into numerous ornamental and useful articles, but among the
vast mineral treasures of Montezuma, the quantity of silver was
small compared with that of gold, and gave little promise of the
argentiferous mines of his territories.
[Sidenote: THE SPANISH MINERS.]
The Spaniards had a keen eye for valuable things, and no sooner did
they find what the country contained in mineral wealth, than they
proceeded at once to develop it.
They opened mines wherever there were indications of silver, and so
fast did they progress that it was estimated, at the beginning of
this century, that operations were going on in from four thousand to
five thousand localities, which might all be included in about three
thousand distinct mines. These were scattered along the range of the
Cordilleras in eight groups, the principal of which, known as the
central group, contains the famous mining districts of Guanajuato,
Catoree, Zacatecas, and Sombrerete, and furnished more than half of
all the silver produced in Mexico.