Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 1.djvu/184

 Troy. 163 past or present. He deserves all the more our thanks that he did not expect to discover important monuments of the class un- earthed at Olympia, or such as we hope to bring out at Delphi. Schliemann's exuberant enthusiasm, sometimes so naively ex- pressed as to bring an involuntary smile to the lips, could alone have carried him through his arduous and self-imposed task ; but the splendid results which he thus obtained should silence stupid raillery and elicit nothing but sincere gratitude. Com- menced with dash and inexperience, these excavations acquired fresh interest from 1882 onward, when Schliemann was fortunate enough to secure the services of Dr. Dorpfeld of Berlin, an experienced architect who had for years managed the technical part of the German excavations at Olympia, whose judgment therefore on architectural subjects is entitled to the greatest consideration. Our exposition therefore of the main results of Schliemann's excavations, which he was about to resume when struck by death, Dec. 26, 1890, is solely based on Dr. Dorpfeld's plans and tracings. The excavations have proved that the slight depression intervening between Hissarlik and the long ridge which stretches away to the rear was formerly much deeper, e.g. before masses of rubbish had been heaped up to the height of ten or twelve metres and almost filled it The terminal cone was then completely isolated ; it rose stiffly above the two valleys which meet at its base, whilst a broad ditch parted it from the mountain range. On this eminence Schliemann concentrated his main efforts, and here his most important discoveries were made. Later on he intended, and did in fact explore the adjacent plateau covering the ruins of the Graeco- Roman town, near which lie two large Turkish hamlets of different date, Tshiblak, and the now famous Hissarlik; the latter was founded by Bulgarian emigrants professing the religion of Islam, who, having obtained a grant of land from the government, settled here. From the second year onward, no less than one hundred and fifty labourers were digging away under Dr. and Mdme. Schliemann's supervision. Nothing was neglected to assure the success of the enterprise ; a whole array of machinery and implements of English make had been provided, and two short lines of railways were made on which were placed hand-wagons, for the purpose of removing the rubbish from the bottom of