首页 >出版文学> Manners and Monuments of Prehistoric Peoples>第33章
  ButonehumanskeletonhassofarbeenfoundinSantorin,andthatisofaninhabitantwhohadevidentlybeenovertakeninhisflightandcrushedbeneaththeburningscoriaefromthevolcano。Thismanwasofmediumheight,andissupposedtohavebeenbetweenfortyandforty-eightyearsold。Thebonesofthepelvisarefirmlyconsolidated,andtheteetharewornwithmastication。
  LetusendeavortoguessattheperiodwhenthepeopleofSantorinlived。DeLongperiertellsusthatvasessimilartothoseleftbythemarerepresentedonthetombofRekmaraamongstthepresentsofferedtoThothmesIII。,wholivedintheeighthcenturyB。C。,butifsothepeopleofSantorinappeartohaveborrowednothingintheirintercoursewithEgypt。ThefirstinvasionofGreecebythePhoeniciansissupposedtohavebeeninthefifteenthcenturyB。C。,butthebuildings,thepottery,andthevariousimplementsofTherasiaandAcrotiridifferessentiallyfromthoseofthePhoenicians,who,moreover,fromtheearliesttimes,usedmetals。MustwenotthereforeconcludethatthecatastrophewhichoverwhelmedSantorintookplacebeforethefifteenthcenturyB。C。?Conjecturesastothedateofthefataleruption,howeverplausible,areofnouseinanythingrelatingtotheoriginofthepeople,orthetimeoftheirfirstoccupationoftheisland。Onthesepointsallisstillhopelessconfusion,andwemustwaitforfurtherdiscoveriesbeforewecanhopetocometoanyconclusionsinthematter。
  Wehavegonebacktotheveryearliestdaysofmanupontheearth;
  wehaveshownthathewasthecontemporaryofthemammothandtherhinoceros,ofthecave-lionandthecave-bear;wehaveseenhimcrouchinginthedeeprecessesofhiscaveandfightingthebattleoflifewithnoweaponbutafewscarcelysharpenedflints,leadinganexistenceinfinitelymorewretchedthantheanimalsabouthim。Notwithoutemotionhavewewatchedourremoteancestorsintheirceaselessstruggleforexistence;notwithoutemotionhaveweseenthemgraduallygrowinginintelligenceandenergy,andattainingbyslowdegreestoacertainamountofcivilization。Santorinisastrikingandbrilliantproofoftheirprogress,andweshallappreciatethisprogressyetmorewhenwehaveexaminedtheruinspileduponthehillofHissarlik。Thereweshallclosethisportionofourwork,forfromthetimewhenthebuildingsofwhichtheseremainsweretherelicsmettheirdoom,theuseofmetals,copper,bronze,gold,silver,andironbecamegeneral。Historybegantobewritten,anditishertasktotellusofthemigrationsofraces,theearlyeffortsofhistoric,races,thefoundationofempires。Inaword,theprehistoricagewasover;thatofself-consciousportraiturewasnowtobegin。
  AfewyearsagoIwasontheancientHellespontandmyfellow-travellers,groupedaboutthedeckofourvessel,weretryingtomakeoutontherecedingcoastofAsiathesitesofTroyandofthetumuliwhichwerethenstillsupposedtohavebeenthetombsofAchilles,Patrokles,andHector,butwhicharenow,thankstotheableresearchesofDr。Schliemann,knowntobelongtoacomparativelymodernepoch。Thestreams,bearingtheevermemorablenamesofSimoisandScamander,werealsoeagerlypointedoutbythewatchers,recallingthewordsofLamartine:
  LenautonniervoguantsurlesflotsduBosphoreDesyeuxcherchaitencoreLepalaisdePriametlestoursd’Ilium。
  Greatindeedistheprivilegeofgenius,immortalizingallthatittouches;foritmustbepointedoutthatTroywasneveranimportanttown,andthewarinwhichitdisappearedwasinrealitybutoneoftheincessantstrugglesbetweenthepettyprincesofGreeceandAsia。
  WhenIvisitedtheEast,scholarswerenotatallagreedastothesiteofthetownwhichwassolongbesiegedbytheGreeks;andcertainscepticalspiritsevenwentsofarastodenythatthereeverwassuchapersonasHomeratall,orthatiftherewere,hewrotetheepicpoemwhichhasbornehis。namesolong。Tradition,however,wasprettyconstantinpointingtothehillofHissarlikasthesiteonwhichTroywasbuilt。Strabowasquiteanexceptioninrelegatingthetowntothelowerendofthebay;wherethemiserablelittlevillageofAkshi-koinowstands。In1788anewideawasstarted;LechevalierinhisaccountofhisjourneyinTroasclaimstohaverecognizedthesiteofTroyatBunarbashi。Atthattimeeruditionwasnotveryprofound,andLechevalier’ssitewasaccepted;indeeditwaslongmaintained,andquiterecentlyithasbeendefendedbyPerrot。Butthenineteenthcenturyismoreexacting;themostplausiblehypothesesarenotenoughwithoutfactstosupportthem,andexcavationsatAkshi-koiandatBunarbashishowthatthereneverwasatownoneitherofthesesites。
  ExcavationsonthehillofHissarlik,begunbyDr。Schliemannin1871,andcarriedonunderhissuperintendenceformorethantenyears,have,onthecontrary,yieldedmostdefinite,satisfactory,andconclusiveresults。Atadepthoffifty-twofeetthediggerscametothevirginsoil,averyhardconchiferouslimestone。TheimmensemassesofDEBRIS
  ofwhichtheembankmentismadeupdatefrontdifferentepochs;wehavebeforeus,ifwemayusesuchanexpression,aperpendicularPentapolisorseriesoffiveancientcitiesoneabovetheother。Onetownwasdestroyedbyassaultandbyfire;anotherrapidlyrosefromitsruins,builtwithstonestakenfrontthemidstofthoseveryremains。Thestudyofthepiled-uprubbishenablesustobuildupagainapictureoftheremotepastwithallitsvicissitudes,andVirchowmaywellsaythatthehillofHissarlikwillforeverbeconsideredoneofthebestauthenticatedwitnessesoftheprogressofcivilization。[249]
  Thefirstlayerofrubbishrestsontherockitself,andmayverywellhavebelongedtothetownbuiltbyDardanus,ofwhichTlepolemusrelatesthedestructionbyhisgrandfatherHercules。[250]AccordingtotheHomericstorysixgenerations,andaccordingtogenerallyacceptedmoderncalculationstwocenturies,separateDardanusfromPriam。Ifthereforeweaccept1200B。C。asthedateoftheTrojanwar,thetownbuiltbyDardanuswoulddatefrom1400B。C。,andweshould。possessdata,ifnotabsolutelycertain,atleastapproximatelyso。[251]
  ThereremainbutafewrelicsofthebuildingserectedbythefirstinhabitantsofthebillofHissarlik,whichrelicsconsistofgreatblocksofirregularsize,withremainsofbearingwallscomposedofsmallstonescementedtogetherwithclayandfacedwithaglazewhichhaswithstoodthewearandtearofcenturies。
  Thesecondtown,whichwouldappeartohavebeenthatdescribedintheIliad,wasprobablybuiltbyaraceforeigntothosewhoerectedthefirst。Thehill,whichwastobecometheAcropolisofthenewtown,wassurroundedbythenew-comerswithawallseveralfeetthick,ofwhichthefoundationsconsistedofunhewnstones;whilsttheupperpartwasmadeofartificiallybakedbricks,thebakinghavingbeendoneaftertheywereputinplace,bylargefireslitinvacantplacesleftatregularintervals;anarrangementrecallingwhatwehavesaidinspeakingofvitrifiedforts。[252]ItisalsointerestingtonoteasimilarmodeofconstructionatAztalaninWisconsininstructureswhichprobablydatefromthetimeoftheMoundBuilders。ThewallsatHissarlikwereprotectedbyre-enteringanglesandprojectingforts。TheinterioroftheENCEINTEwasreachedbythreedoors,anditisstilleasytomakeouttheruinsofthedifferentbuildings。A
  roomsixty-fivefeetlongbythirty-twowideissurroundedbyverythickwalls,andtowardsthesoutheastisasquarevestibule,openingintotheroombyalargedoor。[253]These,Dr。Schliemannthinks,weretheNAOSandPRONAOSofatemplededicatedtothetutelarygodsofthetown。Quiteclosetothemisanotherbuildingwithsimilardispositions;asquarevestibulegivingaccesstoalargeroom,whichinitsturnleadstoasmallerapartment。Thesetwobuildings,whicharereachedthroughaPROPYLAEUM,aretheonlyonesofwhichtheexplorershavebeenabletomakeoutthemeasurementswithanyexactitude。
  Otherruinsareevidentlyremainsoftheroyalresidence。Thehomesofthepeoplewereclusteredonthesidesandatthefootofthehill。AfterthedestructionofthetownbytheGreeks,theAcropolisformedonevastmassofruins,fromwhichbitsofwallsstoodouthereandthereasmutewitnessesofthecatastrophe。Thethinlayerofblackearthcoveringtheruinsseemstopointtothespeedyrebuildingofthetown。Thehousesofthethirdsettlementareveryirregularlygrouped,andconsistedmostlyofonestoryonly,containinganumberofverysmallrooms。Someofthewallsareofbrickswithglazedfacings,othersofverysmallstonescementedtogetherwithclay。Inonehouseofratherlargersizethantheotherswasfoundsomecementmadeofcinders,mixedwithfragmentsofcharcoal,brokenbones,andtheremainsofshellsandpottery。Onthenorthwestthenewcolonistserectedwallsinplaceofthosewhichhadfallendown,buttheywereofveryinferiormasonry,coarsebricksbakedonthespot,inthewaycustomaryamongtheTrojans,havingformedthematerial。
  ThedestructionofthethirdtownwasmorecompletethanthatofTroy。Thewallsofthehousescanstillbemadeoutrisingtoacertainheight,anditwasuponthemasfoundationsthatthefourthcolonysetuptheirabodes。Thesedwellingsaresmallerstill,withflatroofsformedofbeamsonwhichwaslaidacoatingofrushesandclay。Everygenerationappearstohavebeenpoorerthanthelast,alikeinmaterialwealthandinfertilityofresource。
  Thefifthcolonyspreadnorthwardsandeastwards。Theirhomeswerebuiltverymuchinthesamestyleasthoseoftheirpredecessors。Theresemblancedoesnotendthere,andDr。Schliemannnotesthatamongtheruinsofthethreetowns,whichsuccessivelyrosefromthesiteofTroy,arefoundsimilarstrange-lookingidols,hatchetsinjade,porphyry,diorite,andbronze,gobletswithtwohandles,clumsystonehammers,trachytegrindstones,andfusaiolesorperforatedwhorlsbearingsymbolicsignsofasimilarform。EvidentlythemenwhosucceededeachotherafterthegreatsiegeofTroyonthenowcelebratedhillofHissarlikbelongedtothesamerace,perhapseventothesametribe。Thereare,however,certainnotabledifferenceswhichmustnotbepassedover。Thelaterpotteryisnotofsuchfineclayorsowellmouldedastheearlierspecimens,norarethestonehammers,whichappeartohavebeenthechiefimplementsused,ofsuchgoodworkmanship。Thepilesofshellslefttoaccumulateaboutthehousesofthefourthandfifthtownscanonlybecomparedtothekitchen-middingssooftenreferredto,andthereisnodoubtthatthosewholeftsuchheapsofrubbishabouttheirdwellingscouldnothavebeensocivilizedaswerethecelebratedTrojans。
  BeneaththeruinsoftheGreektown,whichstrictlyspeakingbelongstohistory,Schliemannfoundaquantityofpotteryofcuriousshapesandverydifferenttoanythinghehadpreviouslydiscovered。HeascribesthemtoaLydiancolonywhichdweltforashorttimeuponthehill。Thispotteryresemblesthatknownasproto-Etruscan,ofwhichsomanyspecimenshavebeenfoundinItaly。Probablythemakersofbothwerecontemporaries。
  BynumerousandcarefulmeasurementsDr。Schliemannhasbeenabletodetermineexactlythethicknessofthelayers,whichcorrespondwiththedifferentperiodsduringwhichHissarlikwasinhabited。TheremainsoftheGreekandLydiantownsextendtoadepthof71/2feetbeneaththeactuallevelofthesoil;thefourthlayer,from71/2to15feet;
  thethird,from15to221/2feet;Troyitself,from221/2to32feet;
  andlastlyDardania,from32to52feet。ThelastlayercarriesusbacktothegoldenageofGreekart,wherealldoubtisfinallyatanend。Thebas-reliefsofremarkableworkmanshipbearwitnesstotheIlium,foundedinmemoryofTroy。ThisisthetownvisitedbyXerxes,AlexandertheGreat,andJuliantheApostate。[254]Thatthetownstillexistedaboutthemiddleofthefourthcenturyisprovedbymedalstakenfromtheruins,butitevidentlyfellintodecadencesoonafterthattime,foritsvery。namewasforgottenbyhistory,anditwasreservedforourowntimetoresuscitatetheancientcityofPriamanditssuccessorsfromtheruinswhichleadbeenpiledupbythedestructivehandofmanandbythelapseoftinge。Butthistaskhasbeennoblyachievedbytheenthusiasm,scientificacumen,andwemayperhapsaddgood-fortuneofanarchaeologistwhocherishedapositivepassionforeverythingrelatingtoHomerictimes。
  Thenumberofobjectspickedupatdifferentstagesoftheexcavationswasveryconsiderable。Dr。Schliemannneglectedabsolutelynothingthatappearedtohimatallworthyofhiscollection,whichnowbelongstotheRoyalMuseumofBerlinandcontainssometwentythousandobjects,includingweaponsandimplements,someofstone,othersofbronze,andthousandsofvasesandfusaioles,gazinguponwhichweseerisebeforeoureyesapictureofacivilizationunknownbeforebutthroughtheIliadandafewmeagrehistoricalallusions。
  BeforewenoteindetailthemostremarkableoftheobjectsinDr。Schliemann’scollection,wemustaddthatrecentresearcheshavealsobroughttolighttheremainsofalittletemplededicatedtoPallasAtheneandreferredtoinhistory,aswellasthoseofalargeDorictempleerectedbyLysimachus,andofamagnificenttheatrecapableofholdingsixthousandspectators,andwhichprobablydatesfromtheendoftheRomanRepublic。Thehumanbonespickedlipamongtheruinsofthedifferenttownsplaybeattributedtothepractice,alreadygeneral,ofcremation。VirchowhasexaminedtheskullofawomanfoundatTroy,whichisofapronouncedbrachycephalictype82。5。Thecraniafromthethirdtown,ontheotherhand,aredolichocephalic,themeancranialcapacitybeingsixty-seven。Ifwecouldreasonwithanycertaintyfromcranialcapacity,thiswouldappeartopointtoadifferentrace,butitwouldnotdotocometoanypositiveconclusionwithonlyoneTrojancraniumtojudgeby。