Clarke, Joseph Thacher ; Bacon, Francis H.; Koldewey, Robert: Investigations at Assos: expedition of the Archaeological Institute of America ; drawings and photographs of the buildings and objects discovered during the excavations of 1881, 1882, 1883 (Part I - V) (London, 1902-1921)

THE STREET OF TOMBS

PAGE 289


Fig. 1. Vaulted Tomb in Field
Existing Plan



Fig. 2. Vaulted Tomb in Field

ROMAN MILESTONE
Roman milestone found at the principal gateway opening
on the Western Street of Tombs. On the reverse side are carved
in relief the usual serpents feeding from a sacrifice, showing
that this was formerly an altar from the Street of Tombs. The
roughly carved inscription and the fact that the altar was used
for a milestone show the degraded state of the arts at this time.
“ (Tribus) D(ominis) n(ostris) F(lavius) I(mperatoribus), Valen-
tin(iano), Theodosio, et Arcadio, diis fe(li)cibus victorious e)t tri-
umfatoribus semper Aug(ustis) ad solacium la(b)oris a(c) festinationis
(causa).”
This inscription dates, we think, between the years 383 and
385 A. D. In 383 A. I)., when Valentinianus II and Theodo-
sius I were emperors, Arcadius was proclaimed Augustus by
his father, Theodosius. The fact that among their other titles
that of diis felicibus is given them would seem to place the in-
scription before the year 385 A. I)., the year in which Theo-
dosius prohibited sacrifices, after which the title of God would
scarcely he given to the emperors.

CT




Fig. 3. Roman Milestone
(Formerly an Altar)

OBJECTS FOUND AT THE
STREET OF TOMBS
Note:—When the Assos drawings and notes were given by Mr.
Clarke to the Editor to arrange for publication there was amongst
them no detailed list or description of the objects from the Street of
Tombs. During the excavations the Editor had by chance made for
his own satisfaction a few notes of the more important, and rather
than print nothing these imperfect descriptions are here given.
Very few buried sarcophagi were found which had not
been opened previously and most of them had been re-appro-
priated by later comers. Owing to the continued use of these
buried coffins very few articles of value were found. They con-
tained fragments of terra cotta figures, beads, strigils, and the
usual coin for Charon. The objects were generally corroded
by dampness. A few of the better preserved terra-cottas are
shown on Page 291. The buried sarcophagi are numbered on
the general plan of the Street of Tombs, Page 221, but the ob-
jects found in most of them were not of much interest. The
following list describes the contents of the most important:
No. 63. Monolith, 2.10 m. x 0.78 m.
2 black beads, 1 bronze bell, 1 gold ring.
No. 68. Monolith, 2.1 6 m. x 0.80 m.
3 glass vessels, 1 small earthern vessel, fragments of glass
and pottery, 1 strigil, 1 corroded coin.
No. 71. Small sarcophagus of slabs, 1.1 o m. x 0.72 m.
3 terra-cotta birds, 1 bronze handle, 1 terra-cotta head of a
woman, gold necklace in form of a ribbon, with clasp, 1 glass
seal, 1 terra-cotta horse and rider,1 of good workmanship.
The horse is white, the boy’s body is pink, the hair reddish
brown, the eyebrows and lids outlined in black. (Page 291,
Fig. 1 1.)
No. 73. Monolith, 1.93 x 0.54, 10 cm. debris.
Debris of human bones, remains of several bodies, 3 small
earthern vessels, 1 bronze strigil.
No. 74. Small sarcophagus of thick slabs, 1.23 m. x 0.85 m.,
cover missing.
3 small (jars?), 2 terra-cotta figures, actor with mask, and
hawk pouncing on a hare, 1 bronze strigil.

1 Now in Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.