Results of Samarian Exploration

At a meeting of the classical conference held yesterday afternoon in Harvard 1, Professor D. G. Lyon h.'01 gave an interesting explanation of the explorations made last summer by the Harvard Expedition to Samaria, of which he was in charge. This city, the capital of northern Israel, was rebuilt with great splendor by Herod the Great, and it is the remains of his buildings that have been discovered. The mound which covers the ancient city is about five miles in circumference and covered with olive groves and wheat fields.

Near the modern town of Sebastiyeh, were found the remains of a stadium or amphitheatre, which are marked by lines of columns on the north and west. A portion of the northern end was cleared, revealing some handsome masonry at the northwest corner, apparently belonging to a later period.

The main work was done on the summit of the mound. Here a great Roman stair 80 feet in width was discovered in June. At the top of the stairway is a large paved area flanked by massive walls, on which were found the inverted bases of four columns. Beyond the paved platform, there are probably the remains of a temple. To the west of the stairway a chamber 20 by 40 feet in size was found partly cut in the rock. A large pit in the floor was not explored because of lack of time. At the foot of the stairway the trunk of a marble statue, probably of some Roman emperor, was discovered, as well as an altar. Two small columns with Latin inscriptions were unearthed, one lying on the foot of the stairway and one standing in its original position by the altar.