THE ANCIENT HITTITES. 703 



the shield. Besides there were found arm rings, belt buckles, parts 

 of artistic thrones and statues of bronze. The statues and animal 

 figures had been covered with very thin gold plate and set with gems, 

 the gold plates being fastened to the bronzes by narrow^ lient edges 

 sunk into cuts in the bronze. 



The excavations in Van brought to light a unique floor mosaic com 

 posed of black, white, and red stones combined with bronze. Around 

 a bronze rosette the colored stones are grouped in eoncentric rings. 

 Other floures of the same material are worked into rhombic forms. 



