Herculaneum, past, present & future . break up successively the large blocks of sandstonesuperimposed one above the other, before we came upon thesarcophagus itself, which, I still venture to think, is, with a highdegree of probabilitv, the tomb of Aristotle. I repeat, that, for a great excavation—especially one likeHerculaneum—we may expect the expenditure of as muchlabour, time, and money as are devoted, let us say, to theboring of a great tunnel. The preliminary care and study, theprovision of all improved machinery and appliances for workingthe ground, should certainly be as liberal and as
Herculaneum, past, present & future . break up successively the large blocks of sandstonesuperimposed one above the other, before we came upon thesarcophagus itself, which, I still venture to think, is, with a highdegree of probabilitv, the tomb of Aristotle. I repeat, that, for a great excavation—especially one likeHerculaneum—we may expect the expenditure of as muchlabour, time, and money as are devoted, let us say, to theboring of a great tunnel. The preliminary care and study, theprovision of all improved machinery and appliances for workingthe ground, should certainly be as liberal and as advanced as ina great engineering enterprise. Unless the handiwork stagehas been reached, when in a given house or in a pocket themost careful digging with the use of the penknife of one expertis called for, human ingenuity is to be summoned to devisemeans of mechanically dealing with large masses of earth, notonly thus economising and accelerating labour, but insuringgreater accuracy in the production of results. If lava be met. TWO MARBLE RELIEFS. BACCHANALIAN PROCESSION AND SEATED DIONYSOS. Head of Dionysos restored. Ilati 31. CHAP. I REFORM OF EXCAVATION 143 with in the upper layers, the newest machinery should bedevised for cutting and removing it. But, above all, while the work is carried on, there shouldbe an adequate staff of experts to supervise and direct and todetermine important points at once and on the spot ; for thesecannot be as profitably dealt with in the later stages when theworks are removed far from the site in which they werediscovered. Besides the archaeologists and engineers, tliearchitect, the geologist, and chemist ought all to be on the spotto determine the questions within their special province no theynecessarily arise in the course of the actual digging. Howoften, while excavating the Argive Heraeum, was their helpindispensable, when the analysis of the various earths, of asmall quantity of colouring matter (which might have thrownlight on the
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