NERO’S DINING ROOM.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144197, 13 September 1913, Page 7

NERO’S DINING ROOM.

Tho celebrated Italian archaeologist, Commendatero Boni, tho excavator of the Roman Fomin, has been visiting London, and, to a largo audience of. classical students at King’s College, ho gave a lecture on “The Houses of the Republican Period now Discovered under tho Palace of Domitian.” One of tho most interesting statements made by Signor Boni was that he had discovered traces of tho original dining-room of Nero, which could bo revolved by machinery. In his search for tho machine-room ho had discovered three vertical shafts, down one of which ho went 120 feet without reach--ing the bottom. Near one of the vortical shafts, however, he found a tank, and 90' feet below this was a chamber 20 feet wide by 60 feet long with stones serrated like cogwheels on a horizontal bed. This ho took to bo tho engine-room of Nero and his predecessors. Under the din-ing-room again, ho found a bath, witha variety of rooms for different treatments, the walls being richly decorated with various pictures. Tho excavations, which were undertaken last season, and arc still being carried on, are being conducted on a site on tho Palatine Hill, which, from its important and conspicuous position, must nave been the site, said the lecturer, of tho houses of tho great patrician families. Several highly important discoveries have been made.

A study of,tho Palace of Domitian had resulted, ’said Commendatore Boni, in tho discovery of part of a circular drain of tho time of Nero. A staircase was found leading to a series of five chambers, separated by arched doorways, in which saltwater fish were preserved and segregated according to their size and quality. He took this to be a Neronian construction. A cylindrical well of tho time of Nero, which cut right through an underground houso, was also found. The vaults of the house had a number of frescoes on tho walls, which still retained the beautiful purple of the murex, and wore decorated with little brackets which might have supported lamps.