Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/309

 KXPLOIJATIONS IN IIOMF:. -lo.) and the clifl' of tlic upper part of tlic Palatine, tlicy have found remains of bath chambers belonging to the Lavacrum Publicum of Hcliogabahis, and the gratuitous baths estab- lished by him ^Yith the hypocaust to warm them. In tliis part also remains of a temple were found, believed to have been that of Oiicus, mentioned b}' Lampridius in the life of Ileliogabalus, and the dedication of Nvhicli was changed to that of the Sun by that emperor. One long, large swim- ming batli had been since converted into a church, probably about the eightli century ; the round apse and the lower part of the walls remain. Behind this church, and under the cliff, arc other l)ath chambers of the third century. In the great Thermie of Caracalla another gang of men have been at work, and, having only generjd orders to go upon, they have, in my opinion, done rather too much. The general orders are to clear everything away down to the pavements, which is quite right in the streets, but within the walls of a great public building this is going too far. The fragments of the vaults of the upper storey, with the mosaic pavements on the surface, aie very interesting and important, and a large proportion of these have been destroyed and cut up into blocks of a convenient size for building purposes. The masses of vault are so solid and hard, that the men were obliged to have recourse to blasting with gunpowder in order to break them up, to the great alarm of the gardeners who live near, who thought that the lofty walls would be shaken down by the concussion. Of the pieces of marble columns and the capitals that are found here, some are preserved on the spot (as they all should be), others are carried away to museums or for other purposes. A sort of local museum is formed, or being formed, within the work, but it is not confined to things found there ; several objects, known to have been brought from other places, are placed there. The same is the case on the Palatine Hill, where another local museum is being formed, and this also is not confined to things found on the Palatine, as it ought to be ; a number of very ]->rettily-carved sarcoj^hagi are placed in the corridors of the Palatine museum. This has misled some French and German correspondents of scientific journals, who have stated to their respective countrymen that interments must have been permitted on the Palatine, because they have seen these sarcophagi there, not for a vor.. xxix. N" •^■