Almost entirely of long necks, bracelets, rings and necklaces of
gold; some small four-cornered embossed sheets, which were worn
either on the head or chest, and some crowns, made of laurel
wreaths, were very elegant. There were chains and cauldrons in
copper, and ugly grotesque faces and ornaments of various kinds,
which were probably fixed on the exterior of the houses. I saw some
coins which were remarkably well stamped.
I had now to visit the tumuli. I sought long and in vain for a
guide: very few strangers come to this place, and there are
consequently no regular guides. At last there was nothing left for
me but to apply to the Austrian Vice-consul, Herr Nicolits. This
gentleman was not only willing to comply with my wish, but was even
so obliging as to accompany me himself.
The tumuli are monuments of an entirely peculiar character; they
consist of a passage about sixty feet long, fourteen broad, and
twenty-five high, and a very small chamber at the end of the
passage. The walls of the passage are sloping, like the roof of a
house, and contract so much at the top, that at the utmost one foot
is left between. They are built of long and very thick stone slabs,
which are placed over each other in such a way that the upper row
projects about six or seven inches beyond the under one. Upon the
opening at the top are placed massive slabs of stone. Looking down
from the entrance, the walls appear as if fluted. The room, which
is a lengthened quadrangle, is spanned by a small arched roof, and
is built in the same manner as the passage. After the sarcophagus
was deposited in the room, the whole monument was covered with
earth.
The fine marble sarcophagus which is in the Museum, was taken from a
tumulus which was situated near the quarantine house, and is
considered to be that of King Bentik.
The greater number of the monuments were opened by the Turks; the
remainder were uncovered by the Russian government. Many of the
bodies were found ornamented with jewels and crowns of leaves, like
those in the Museum; an abundance of coins was also found.
The 26th of September was a great festival among the Russians, who
celebrated the finding of the cross. The people brought bread,
pastry, fruit, etc., to the church, by way of sacrifice. The whole
of these things were laid up in one corner. After the service, the
priest blessed them, gave some few morsels to the beggars round him,
and had the remainder packed into a large basket and sent to his
house.
In the afternoon, nearly the whole of the people went to the burial-
ground.
