166 



CHANGES OF LEVEL, PUZZUOLL 



[Ch. XXX. 



and drilled by boring testacea. Some of tbe hollows of the 

 litliodomi contained the shells ; while others were filled with 



Fig. 124. 



IS 



a. Antiquities on hill S.E. of Puzzuoli 



(see ground plan, fig. 123). 

 &, Ancient cliff, now inland, 

 c. Terrace composed of recent sub- 

 marine deposit. 



the valves of a species of Arca."^ 

 Nearer to Puzzuoli, the inland cliff 

 is 80 feet high, and as perpen- 

 dicular as if it were still under- 

 mined by the waves. At its base 

 a new deposit, constituting the 

 fertile tract above alluded to, at- 

 tains a height of about 20 feet 

 above the sea ; and since it 

 composed of regular sedimentary 

 deposits, containing marine shells, 

 its position proves that, subse- 

 quently to its formation, there has been a change of more 

 than 20 feet in the relative level of land and sea. 



The sea encroaches on these new incoherent strata; and 

 as the soil is valuable, a wall has been built for its protec- 

 tion; but when I first visited the spot in 1828, the waves 

 had swept away part of this rampart, and exposed to view 

 a regular series of strata of tuff, more or less argillaceous, 

 alternating with beds of pumice and lapilli, and containing 

 great abundance of marine shells, of species now common 

 on this coast, and amongst them Gardium rusticum, Ostrea 

 edulis, Donax trunculus, Lamk., and others. The strata vary 

 from about a foot to a foot and a half in thickness, and one 

 of them contains abundantly remains of works of art, tiles, 

 squares of mosaic pavement of different colours, and small 

 sculptured ornaments, perfectly uninjured. Intermixed with 

 these I collected some teeth of the pig and ox. These frag- 

 ments of building occur below as well as above strata con- 

 taining marine shells. Puzzuoli itself stands chiefly on a 

 promontory of the older tufaceous formation, which cuts off 

 the new deposit, although I detected a small patch of the 

 latter in a garden under the town. 



From the town the ruins of 



a mole, called Caligula's 



* Mr. Babbago examined this spot in rous specimens of tlie shells collected 

 company with Sir Edmnnd Head in there, and in the Temple of Serapis. 

 June 1828, and has shown me niime- 



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