In the third Mode, the stones \tyre laid in horizontal courses, but were or dilrerent dimensions, one stone occasion ally rising alum e the level of the adjoining ones, so that the somewhat irregular ; the joints, too, were some times perpendicular, but at others inclined to the horizon at various angles.
The tburth method comprises walls composed of stones squared on all sides, mud of the fitrill of parallelopipedons, layed in regular horizontal courses. In all these methods, the stones were layed dry without any mortar, and yet they are so strong as to have resisted the vicissitudes of three thousand years. Sometimes we find more than one method adopted in the same structure, but this is probably owing to more recent additions or repairs, Amongst the more noted examples of this mode of build ing. stand the of 'hulls and ycenfe, and the treasury of Atreus, which we proceed to describe seriatim ; but we must premise, that we are indebted fur the descriptions to the accounts of Stuart and I Itighes.
The ruins of Tiry»s are probably the oldest and best ex amples now in existence, and are supposed to have been erected about fourteen centuries B. c. This acropolis is built on a small mount about 50 feet above the level of the plain, and the foundations of the enclosure are still perfect. It had entrances from the east and west, and one at the south-eastern angle. That at the east is still in tolerable preservation, and is approached by an incline. 15 feet Wide, along the eastern and southern side,: of a tower 20 feet square, and 40 feet high, passing at the end of the second side under a gateway composed of immense blocks of stone; the stone forming the architrave being 101 feet long. It is thought that there was formerly a triangular stone above the architrave of this portal. forming it kind of pediimmt; the fragments are now lying on the spot, ha Without any appearance of having been sculptured. The walls are generally 25 feet thick, and are formed of three parallel ranks of stones, live feet thick, w hi 'h separate two ranges of galleries in the walls, each five feet broad, and about twelve feet high ; the sides of the galleries are fbrmed of two courses of stone, and the covering of other two horizontal courses, which project until they meet.
The roof is pointed when seen from below, the lower sur faces of I he stones being cut at an angle of 45 degrees. That part of the g dicry which is now uncovered. is about 90 feet long, and has six :Tunings or recesses towards the east, one of which is a kind of it indow or fluor, Wilieh probably com municated with some exterior building, of which there are still some traces of the foundation in existence ; the space between these niches varies tutu 10 feet 6 inches to 9 feet 8 Inches, and the niches themselves are from 5 feet 6 inches to 4 feet 10 inches wide. These galleries probably continued all round the citadel ; but they are only accessible at present where the walls are least perfect, at the southern part of the enclosure, They were probably constructed for shelter of the garrison in ease of siege, as no loopholes or other apertures open front them into the plain. which would have been the ca-e had they been constructed for any defen sive purpose. It' the inner gallery received light from the arehed area, the exterior must have remained almost dark.
No remains of the south-eastern portal remain : it appears to have hccn connected with the eastern gate by an avenue enclosed between the outer wall and the inner curtain, yet it is not easy to conjecture the use of this singular place. Others of a sindlar kind are met with at Argos, and in some other ancient cities of Greece.
The northern point of the hill is less elevated than any other, and its wall is composed of stones of a smaller size than those employed in the galleries. All the exterior walls are composed of rough stones, some of them 9 feet 4 inches in length, and 4 feet thick—their usual size is from 3 to 7 feet. The wall, when entire, must have been about 60 feet high. On the eastern side, the wall has been entirely destroyed, probably by the Argives, about 460 years before Christ, that the city might be left entirely unprotected.
There is a small entrance-gate, in the pointed tbrm, 6 feet 1 inch wide, situated in the recess of the western wall ; it is detimded by a wall projecting in a curve.