Chapter IX

THE FIFTH SEPULCHRE, AND THE FIRST AGAIN.

At length again a guard and watchfire on the Acropolis of
Mycenæ--Exploration of the _Fifth Tomb_--Its sepulchral
_stêlæ_--The tomb described; containing only one body--Golden
diadem and other objects found in the tomb--Hand-made vases
of terra-cotta; one with female breasts, like the prehistoric
vases at Santorin and Troy--Wheel-made pottery--Excavation of
the _First Tomb_ completed--Its position and construction. Three
bodies in it: the middle one has been disturbed and rifled of
its ornaments--Large size of the bodies--Golden mask and state
of the first--Wonderful preservation of the third--Its ponderous
gold mask, face, and teeth--Description of the body--its
remarkable compression--Golden breast-plate, and leaves of gold
on the forehead, eyes, and breast--Excitement caused by the
discovery--Measures taken to preserve and remove the body--Its
shoulder belt and bronze sword with crystal ornament, and disks
of gold for the sheath: all special funeral ornaments, and not
for ordinary use--Description of the golden breast-covers of this
and the first body--Highly-decorated bronze swords and other
objects found with the third body--Ornamented golden leaves, a
wooden comb, and bronze swords, with the second body--A large
heap of broken bronze swords, with knives and lances--Other
weapons, chiefly in fragments--Amber and gold beads, and various
objects of gold and silver--An alabaster vase--Wonderful plates
of gold--The two massive golden masks of the first tomb--The
skilled work argues a long-trained school of artists--Several
large goblets of gold and silver--Objects in this sepulchre--A
silver vase, with copper and gold plating--A drinking-cup
of alabaster--Plates of gold, in form of double eagles,
&c.--Fragments of silver vases; one with a gold mouthpiece
and handle--A splendidly ornamented plate of gold, covering a
cylinder of charred wood--Hundreds of gold-button-plates, large
and small, with various ornamentation--The new types shown--Gold
plates, ribbons, and ornaments for greaves--Tubes and buttons
of bone; their probable use--An ivory plate, and a curious
object of glazed Egyptian porcelain--Hand-made and wheel-made
pottery--Seven large copper vessels, caldrons and cans--A
quadrangular wooden box, with most interesting reliefs 289