Page:Three Years in Europe.djvu/392

346 solid, massive lava which flowed into it as it poured out of the crater on the eventful day of the 23rd November 79 A. D. New towns like Portici, Resina and Torre del Greco have now been built over this solid foundation covering the ancient city. To disinter Herculaneum therefore it would be necessary not only to dig out the hard lava which covers it, but to destroy the new towns which have been built over it. For both these reasons Herculaneum has not yet been disinterred and probably never will be disinterred, the more specially as such disinterment is not likely to lead to any fresh discoveries, beyond such as have been made in Pompeii. A portion of the great theatre of Herculaneum has been cleared. It consists of 19 tiers of seats and could probably accommodate 10,000 persons. The orchestra lies 26 ft. below the modern town of Resina. Other excavations have also been made disclosing several private houses, similar to the houses in Pompeii.

The treasures and mementoes of the ancient world found in Pompeii and Herculaneum have been collected and preserved in the National Museum in Naples, which is therefore unique in its value and importance among the Museums of the world. A collection of no less than 1600 wall paintings gives the visitor a fairly correct idea of the art of painting as it was practised among the ancient Romans in the days of their highest prosperity and civilization. The very materials of paintings,—chalks and stones and earths of various colours have been found among the ruins of the burned cities and