HISTORY OF FRAGMENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20644, 16 February 1929, Page 4

HISTORY OF FRAGMENTS.

ARCHEOLOGIST’S WORK. Sir William Ramsay, the famous Scottish ardueologist and historian, has been reconstructing the inscription on the triumphal arch of the Emperor Augustus excavated by him at ancient Antioch in Pisidja, Asia Minor. It is a duplicate of the inscription on bronze pillars set up in Rome.

The inscription was found to be jin 280 fragments, some measuring only an- inth in length, and the largest about a yard. It originally ran in 10 columns across the upper facade of a triple archway. It was composed by the Emperor himself shortly before his death, and is a record of his life’s work. The arch collapsed when the city was burnt. One representative column of 250 words is made up of 39 fragments and much reconstructed lettering. In bis work Sir William Ramsay was greatly aided by a Canadian engineer, Mr Aggiman, formerly an assistant professor at M'Gill University. His daughter; Miss A. Ramsay, accompanied him throughout his researches, and gave him invaluable help.

Owing to the existence of a fragmentary duplicate of the inscription on the temple of Augustus at Angora, as well as a partial Greek translation, it is now possible to decipher the whole test.

Several errors have been corrected by Sir William Ramsay’s discoveries, which have confirmed the presumed general arrangement of the whole inscription. Next year he proposes, to move the reconstructed blocks to the Temple of Augustus, where they will be preserved beside the partial duplicate. It is uncertain how far the triumphal/ arch at Antioch can be rebuilt.

Sir William remarked to a. correspondent of the Daily Mail that it was astonishing that for the pursuit and publication of these archaeological researches financial support was not forthcoming in England. His first pamphlet regarding the work saw the light by the aid of a German scientific periodical, and Yale University is publishing the second, which he is now preparing. A third will appear in Germany, >

He told me that the inscription devotes two chapters to foreign policy, and shows that Augustus was always watching tor the; movements of barbarians beyond the frontiers of the Empire. He anticipated the process to which the Empire ultimately succumbed, The. .inscription sheds light on camp life, finances, and home life. Referring to other discoveries in Anatolia, Sir William said that traces have been found of people having a language akin to old Turkish and living in Anatolia in pre-Hittite times. This seems to show that people of Turkish stock were the oldest known inhabitants of Asia Minor.

He said that wagon loads of splendid Hittite remains .are reaching Angora from German and American excavations.