Interesting Roman Discoveries.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 4310, 15 March 1884, Page 3 (Supplement)

Interesting Roman Discoveries.

Some very interesting Roman sepulchral discoveries have been made lately at Mayence, in the carrying out of some considerable excavations and earthworks required for carrying the Ludwigsbahn Railroad around the city. Close to the Neuthor the workmen came upon a place of considerable extent, evidently assigned to the sepulture of civilians. A large number of large and small stone coffins wcie found at irregular distances from each other, the intervening spaces having been occupied by wooden coffins, as is proved by the fragments and the nails which were found. One stone coffin bore a plate, which seems to have previously served as the " head-stone" of a former grave ; and all the indications sug gest that the place had been used at sue cessive periods as n. place of burial. Mont of the graves that were opened contained skeletons of women and children, v/ith which lay bracelets, rings, needles, censere for burning incense, he. There was one metal coffin, in which' lay a women's skeleton, but without any inscription or ornament. In the children's graves there were toys and other objectSj generally of beautiful workmanship, such as little bracelets, glass and earthernware utensils, &c. There was one little polished goblet of singular beauty. One stone coffin (the inscription on which contained some mistakes) held the body of a woman, dressed with lime for the purpose of preservation, having the back-hair arranged in a long plait of eight stranda, woven with great elegance, and the clearlydiscernible remains of a cap. The hair is now red, but most probably was once black. There was in the cofiin a stone needle-case, ornamented with gold bonds, two bone dice, a wooden casket with bronze mountings, the key of which was in excellent preservation, and a bronze ring. As to- the othor objects found in the place, a small bronxe figure of a dancing Bacchante, three black* earthernware water phials beautifully painted, and bearing the following inscrip.tions, "vivas mi," " bibe," "dos," were especially deserving of notice. A quantity of silver and bronze coins were found, ranging from the time of Hadrian to the end of tho third century.