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Page:Travels & discoveries in the Levant (1865) Vol. 1.djvu/338

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288
TRAVELS AND DISCOVERIES
  1. A diadem of massive gold about 1 1/2 in. wide.
  2. A necklace richly ornamented, from which

hung two gold cornucopias suspended from chains.

  1. A pair of fine gold earrings, the pendant of

which was formed by a winged figure, probably a Cupid, holding in one hand a wine-jug, in the other a dish. The whole of these ornaments weighed 42 1/2 Venetian ducats, and were valued at only 2,000 Tui'kish piasters, about £18.129

There were found with them in the sarcophagus a silver coin of Calymnos and a bronze mirror.

I commenced digging in the part of Damos which had anciently formed a quarry, and at the end of the first day came to three tombs of children, all of which had been previously opened and the contents broken. The next day I came to a much larger tomb, rather more than four feet below the surface. This tomb was covered with a stone lid in two pieces. The workmen, who are artists for this kind of work, having a great deal of practice at Calymnos, first removed every atom of earth from the lid of the tomb, taking care to stop up all the holes to prevent the earth running in. They then, with much care and neatness, and not with the clumsy impetuosity which English labourers would have shown, lifted up one of the two stones which formed the cover. On looking into the tomb, the first thing I saw was a jug of red pottery, the mouth turned downwards: between the handle and neck of the vase was a small earthenware lamp. Taking out these two, we came to the feet and legs of the skeleton. We then took off the middle stone,