Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1875 — Interesting Discoveries In Rome. [ARTICLE]

Interesting Discoveries In Rome.

An interesting paper was recently read before the Royal Society of Literature by its learned Secretary, Mr. Vaux, upon the extensive excavations which have been undertaken at Rome upon the site of the Coliseum. It has now been fully made out that the whole of the large space in the center of the building is subdivided by walls, one object of which was certainly to support the boarded floor on which.the shows took place, and, as it has been found that these walls are twenty-one feet high and six feet thick, the excavation has been carried to a corresponding depth. From vertical grooves discovered in portions of these w albeit appears that lifts were employed for raising the wild animals and other objects from below, and arched recesses, eighty in number, formed chambers large enough to contain animals. For elephants larger vaulted spaces were set apart under the corridor on each side of the central passage at the southeast end. Under the central passage a huge drain has been found, evidently made to carry

off a rush of waters, and provided with an iron grating to prevent any important material from being carried away. Immediately under the podium is a series of corbels which supported the masts carrying the awning for the protection of the spectators from the sun and rain, and corresponding with other masts on the top of the outer walls, and the lower end of these masts served probably as posts for the netting which guarded the front of the podium against any danger arising from the wild animals let loose in the arena. The four straight parallel passages which have been found running along the entire length of the amphitheater, both of Rome and of Capua, were probably used as canals through which the triremes were drawn for the naval encounters, and the conduits for the supply of the water have also been discovered. These naval encounters were, therefore, represented as taking place on a river rather than on a lake or a sea. The general arrangements were so skillfully contrived that the arena could be with comparative rapidity converted into the canals thus described; the boarded floor being taken in pieces and piled upon the corbels before mentioned, the ends of which were cut into notches to receive them. The excavation hitherto has been achieved entirely through the agency, and in the first instance at least entirely at the expense, of Mr.|Parker, an Englishman, who, however, has of late happily been able to secure the valuable patronage and co-operation of Prince Humbert. At the present moment M. Rosa and a staff of workmen are placed by Prince Humbert under Mr. Parker’s directions.