Slike strani
PDF
ePub

Christian century. The head itself is assigned to the middle of the second -century B.C.

Another representative of this group is a fine head of a woman in a Phrygian cap (Fig. 2). The proportions are the same as those of the head just described

[graphic][graphic][merged small]

and it may be the work of the same artist. The flesh was painted white and some slight traces of the color remain. The head is thrown back on the left shoulder and the face uplifted, as if to implore aid. It may represent a Niobid or a dying Amazon. A part of the back of both these heads is unfinished, indicating that they were to be fastened to a background, perhaps a pediment, in such a way as to offer a three-quarters view.

Group II is distinguished by very fine terra-cotta of a reddish-yellow hue. The surface is polished and has taken on a bright patina, and the baking is perfect and uniform. To this group belongs the head of a youth in a Phrygian cap ornamented with ribbons (Fig. 3). The head is nearly two-thirds life size and is finished on all sides. The face, which is perfectly preserved, although somewhat feminine in its features is that of a young man. The pupils of the eyes are indicated and there are traces of red on the face and hair. In finish this head is comparable with the best work of the Faliscan artists of the early third century before our era. It is an Apollo type, but with Etruscan characteristics, and may, perhaps, represent Paris. Another head belonging to this group is that of a woman in a Corinthian helmet. This also is finished on all sides and it has traces of red on the hair and on the cheek-pieces of the helmet. The other two groups, to be distinguished from I and II by the quality of their material, are represented for the most part only by fragments.

[graphic]

FIGURE 2.-TERRA-COTTA HEAD: AREZZO.

An Old Well.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 215-217, ALESSANDRO DEL VITA reports the discovery, in connection with the excavation of the brick city wall, of an old well at Catona, at the bottom of which were many fragments of pottery designed to form a rough filter. Although of no artistic value, the fragments throw some light on the history of local ceramics.

CORCHIANO.-Two Faliscan Tombs.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 20-30, G. BENDINELLI gives an account of the discovery of two Faliscan chambered tombs at a place called "Lista," about two kilometres from Corchiano, during excavations carried on between January 24 and March 18, 1916. In one of the tombs, which were in a ruined condition, there was found a large number of vases and fragments belonging to three different epochs, the archaic, the Faliscan, and the Etrusco-Campanian. Among the last named was a redfigured crater, .325 m. in height and .350 m. in diameter, having on one side representations of the resurrection of Adonis and of the Leda myth, separated by

[graphic][graphic][merged small]

a series of volutes. On the opposite side a Nike in a chiton is facing a nude youth with a cymbal in his hand. He is engaged in conversation with a woman, before whom stands a tree. The execution is fine and the designs original, the Adonis scene appearing only on a mirror (Gerhard, Etr. Sp. V, pl. 25). The style is that of the Greek and Italic vases of the fourth century before our era. There are no traces of applied color, but there are some Italic features, such as the division into two fields by means of volutes. A second tomb, found near the first one, contained 11 entire or fragmentary archaic Etruscan vases, and 107 Faliscan, one of the latter bearing the inscription mi Alsi Tismi, a new name. Thus the tombs, which indicate the presence of a necropolis in the vicinity, show indications of burials at two separate periods, the seventhsixth centuries and the fourth century B.C. The finds belonging to each of these periods include Greek importations and an extraordinary number of small vases of a ritual character.

FERENTUM.-Ornamental Terra-cottas.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 117-120, G. BENDINELLI records the discovery of two ornamental terra

cotta tiles from the territory of Ferentum. The first represents a Doric entablature with a cyma and a projecting cornice, both of which retain traces of color. The frieze is divided regularly into triglyphs and metopes; the former are in low relief, while on the latter in high relief are masks of satyrs with bald heads, except for tufts of hair near the ears. The temples are encircled by garlands, which were painted white. The masks themselves, open mouths of which served as spouts for rain water, were red. The triglyphs and the background of the metopes were also in white. The dimensions are .66 m. by .505 by .25. The second tile is also an entablature with a plain frieze, in which there is a hole for the discharge of rain water, made at a later time. Its dimensions are .64 m. by .51 by .22. The back of the tiles is of an unusual form. GREVE.-An Inscription.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, p. 110, T. CAMPANILE publishes with some slight corrections an inscription found near Greve in the province of Florence and already reported in C.I.L. XI, 1613.

LEONTINI.—A Unique Coin.—A supposedly unique gold coin of Leontini, weighing seven-tenths of a gram, is described and pictured by its possessor, SILVIO SBOTO, in R. Ital. Num. XXXIV, pp. 65-66. Obv., a naked woman riding a horse at foot-pace to right, holding reins in both hands; Rev., LEONTINON (last five letters r. to 1.) in quasi-circular legend; open-mouthed head of lion to r., around which four grains of barley or wheat. The probable date is 412-404 B.C.

MONFALCONE.-Roman Tombs.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 99–100, P. STICOTTI reports the discovery, in 1914, of a dozen Roman tombs. Some small objects were found and two fragmentary inscriptions relating to the fons Beleni, which is, perhaps, to be identified with the warm spring at Monfalcone, now known as "i Bagni."

OSTIA.-Excavations.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 41-66, G. MORETTI reports discoveries in the group of ruins between the horrea and the decumanus. At one time these ruins belonged to a series of rectangular and nearly symmetrical shops in two rows, one of which fronted on the decumanus, where the door-sills are preserved, while the other was behind them. In the course of time some slight changes were made, as appears from the character of the walls; finally, at a late period, the central part of the inner row was completely altered by the construction of a large apse in the southern wall and before it a hall in the form of a nave in three divisions. The pavement has a handsome geometric design in colored marbles. In the course of the exploration of this structure twelve inscriptions were found. Other finds were an oscillum in giallo antico, somewhat damaged, having on one side a Triton and a Nereid and on the other a male genius, facing some object which cannot be made out; a small marble statuette of poor workmanship; a life-size portrait bust of a Roman in a style resembling that of the seated old man by Zeno, son of Attinas (Helbig, Führer, II, No. 1315); and sundry fragments, including part of a Christian relief. The most interesting piece of statuary was a colossal monolithic group in Parian marble, representing Commodus and Crispina as Mars and Venus. This group, which was intended for a niche, as appears from the finish of the back, was originally composed after the type of the Borghese Mars in the Louvre and the Venus of Melos.. The workmanship of the bodies is good, but the female head was taken from another statue, while the male head has been worked over (it was formerly bearded). The original group was either an ideal one, repre

senting Mars and Venus, or more probably one of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina. The nature of the finds is somewhat surprising, since the building with the apse was probably a Christian church. Ibid. XVII, 1920, pp. 156-166, R. PARIBENI describes the excavation of a block of buildings west of the temple of Vulcan, and of the quarter north of the porta Romana. In the first was found a temple, probably an Augusteum, resting on the ruins of two earlier temples; also three houses, interesting in their plan and architectural details, but unfortunately in a poor state of preservation. The excavations near the porta Romana threw additional light on the question of the walls and gates. The wall to the north of the gate is in perfect alignment with that to the south and of the same construction. The walls towards the sea are much stronger than those towards the land. The gate was flanked by two quadrangular towers. An interesting inscription records the dedication, in 199 A.D. of an altar to the nymphs by a certain Amnoin, who was liberatus numine earum gravi infirmitate. A relief on the altar, representing a dog running to the right and behind it a bearded man who has been thrown down and is raising his arms in supplication indicates that the gravis infirmitas was hydrophobia, on which some interesting notes are given. Other inscriptions and fragments are published, including one from the piazzale delle Corporazioni, restored as (naviculariorum Ale)xandrin(orum).

POGGIO-CALVELLO.-Miscellaneous Discoveries.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 112-117, G. BENDINELLI relates the discovery of a chambered tomb at Poggio-Calvello near Tuscania, which had been rifled of its contents; also of the remains of a building of the imperial period, forming part of a bath, near the church of S. Maria Maggiore at Tuscania. These are the only remains of that period at Tuscania. One inscription was found.

PORTO BELTRAME.-Three Epitaphs.-In C. R. Acad. Insc. 1920, pp. 299-300, R. CAGNAT reports the discovery on the estate of Signor Cardini near Porto Beltrame of three funerary inscriptions. One is remarkable because it commemorates the curious fact that the death of its subject fell on his birthday and at the same hour of the day with his birth.

ROME. A Bronze Portrait Head.-In Ausonia, IX, 1919, pp. 123-138 (pl.; 5 figs.) a commission appointed by a Royal Tribunal at Rome, and consisting of R. LANCIANI, F. HERMANIN, and R. PARIBENI, reports on the authenticity of a bronze portrait head of an elderly woman, found at Chiavenna in 1879. Considering that the work shows many details which, though unusual, have analogies in ancient art; that a modern forger who had acquired enough archaeological knowledge to make the head would probably have produced work of better quality; and that the price at which the head was originally sold was quite low, the commission unanimously declares the head an ancient work. It should be assigned to a date in the second century A.D., probably to the Antonine period.

Columbaria. In the angle formed by the Via Casilina (ancient Labicana) and the vicolo dei Carbonari, about three kilometres to the left of the former road as one goes from Rome, an important series of columbaria has been found, some of which have been published in Not. Scav. for 1912, 1914, 1915, 1917, and 1918. In this great necropolis of the first and second centuries of the Empire four more columbaria have recently been unearthed, near those previously discovered and connected with them. The walls show traces of

polychrome decoration, in which blue predominates, and under the niches are painted shield-shaped places for the names of the owners or occupants. Only two of these contained names, both of which were graffiti, Successo and C. Ann(ius) vixit annis xiix. The other names had been inscribed on marble slabs attached to the wall, and these had either been carried off or were found in the debris which filled the columbaria. Of the latter forty are published, along with nine fragments forming part of a list of proprietors of ollae. The names are those of slaves or freedmen belonging to the end of the first or the beginning of the second century of the Empire, including Apollonius, slave of Maecenas and afterwards of a Nero, probably the eldest son of Germanicus and Agrippina. (G. MANCINI, Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 31-41.)

A Hypogaeum.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 123-141, G. BENDINELLI records the discovery of a hypogaeum with paintings near the Viale Manzoni, between the Via di Porta Maggiore and the Via di S. Croce in Gerusaleme. It has a mosaic pavement which is badly damaged, although the central part, with an inscription to an Aurelius, is preserved. The paintings are of different periods, extending from the second half of the second century of the Empire to the first half of the third. They include what is possibly the earliest known representation of the twelve apostles, several pictures of the good shepherd, a seated reader and a flock of sheep, perhaps representing faithful hearers, and Odysseus as a beggar.

A Jewish Catacomb.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 143-155, R. PARIBENI records the excavation of a Jewish catacomb on the Via Nomentana in the villa Torlonia. It was adorned with paintings and yielded two Latin and forty-eight Greek inscriptions of the second and third centuries. The villa Torlonia contains a large marble sarcophagus, on which is sculptured the sevenbranched candlestick, but it is not known whether it was found in the villa or brought from Porto.

Miscellaneous Discoveries.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 218–233, G. . MANCINI reports various discoveries. At Capo di Bove on the Via Appia antica an inscription. At Tormorancia on the Via Ardeatina a sarcophagus of Greek marble in a perfect state of preservation except for the loss of the cover. It is sculptured in the style of the end of the second century with a representation of the myth of Endymion and Selene. Several inscriptions, some of which were found in the same locality as the sarcophagus, others on the Via Labicana near Torpignattara, on the Via Nomentana, and in the former villa Patrizi (one of these mentions the vicus Lori, = Lorium), and on the Via Ostiensis. On the property of the società Colla e Concini di Milano, two kilometres from the Via Praenestina, there was found the headless statue of a fisherman (1.44 m. by .47 m.), a copy of a Hellenistic original of the third century, apparently made in the second century of our era; also a marble statue of a satyr, belonging to the best imperial period, which had served as a fountain ornament; and a sepulchral gallery containing Christian inscriptions. The Thermae Suranae.-In Not. Scav. XVII, 1920, pp. 141-142, R. PARIBENI reports the discovery, during a restoration of the church of S. Sabina, of the inscription of the Thermae Suranae, which was found on the door-post of the convent near the church. The inscription is on a marble slab measuring 2.45 m. by .48, which is about half of the original length. The name of the emperor is restored as Gordianus III. The baths, perhaps, occupied the site

« PrejšnjaNaprej »