Assess the Changing Methods and Contributions of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Archaeologists to Our Understanding of Pompeii and Herculaneum

On August 24th in 79 AD at approximately 1300 a cloud appeared over the Roman city of Pompeii. This was all the warning the residents had before the nearby volcano, Mount Vesuvius, erupted. Huge quantities of scalding hot ash, pumice and lava pebbles were thrown into the sky. This then cascaded down across an extensive area. Pompeii was buried under 14 to 17 feet of ash and pumice, and the nearby seacoast was drastically changed. Herculaneum was buried under more than 60 feet of mud and volcanic material. Some residents of Pompeii later returned to dig out their destroyed homes and salvage their valuables, but many treasures were left and then forgotten. The remains of 2,000 men, women, and children were found at Pompeii. After perishing

The private and public leisure activities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were largely abundant. Many activities could be participated in and were used often. These include Drama performances, gladiatorial games, drinking, gambling, brothels, exercise, gardens, baths and food and dining. All these were an important part of Pompeian and Herculaneum life. They were seen as important to keep the body and mind healthy in most cases. Though some opposed some of the activities like brothels, gambling and drinking. But all give a important look into the life of those in Pompeii and Herculaneum before the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius which completely destroyed

“The study of Pompeii and Herculaneum provides us with a wealth of sources – However we are faced with issues regarding their limitations, reliability and evaluation.”

Science plays a major role in assisting archaeologists and researchers reconstruct the past. In the case of Ötzi, scientific research resulted in magnificent findings and continues to make great finds and extract evidence from the body and the equipment found with it.

Archeologists all over the world work towards not only discovering the tracks left behind by societies millions of years ago, but also make an effort to save those footprints for future generations. However, conservation and preservation of archaeological sites can prove to be as arduous as discovering them, or may be more. As a historical site is discovered, it becomes the responsibility of the government and everybody who has to play a role, to secure that site and to not let it deteriorate. Doing so is now also made part of law in many countries and it comes as no surprise when preservation of historical sites is the prime goal of numerous international organizations. Pompeii is one of the most popular historical sites that have been a point of concern for not only Italy’s government but also UN itself. In this paper we try develop an insight of barriers that restrict the development of restoration. Pompeii is an ancient Roman town near the modern Naples, which was first discovered in the 18th century, after it had been destroyed by a volcanic eruption, courtesy of the close standing Mount Vesuvius during the first century. This area and the closer one of Herculaneum was covered in about 20 feet of ash when it was discovered but much of the objects had been able to survive, specifically the ones below the city, as there had been no exposure to air or moisture. This destination is of great importance for the present world as it provides a quality insight into the ‘Pax

Most of the Italian municipalities in their time had a Forum, a square in their town where the political, commercial, and social lives are all intertwined. Not only did it act as a social meeting place for the residents, but it also functioned as the primary religious and economic sector of the city. In Pompeii the Forum was a large area measuring at around 157 by 38 metres, not including all the surrounding buildings (Unfortunately in Herculaneum, the forum is still uncovered). The Forum was lined with the most important buildings in the city. (See figure 1) In Pompeii particularly, the forum held the Municipal offices (A), Basilica (B), Temple of Apollo (C), Forum Olitorium (vegetable market) (C), Latrines (public toilets) (D), Temple of Jupiter (E), Macellum (marketplace) (F), Temple of the Lares (G), Temple of Vespasian (I), Building of Eumanchia (J), and a Comitium (voting house) (K). On the western side of the forum, there is a pedestal, built for outspoken orators. This served as a location where people could express their views on current situations, usually political.

Then we view the sculptures of the Boar and Hunting Dogs which were originally in the garden of a home in a city in the Bay of Naples. We also view the large fresco of the Garden Scene (see Fig. 2), which feels like a time warp back in time to Pompeii. The Garden Scene displays the beauty of nature with the various plants and birds present, and the two heads hanging on posts seem to be looking out to the viewer and protecting the garden. After the garden pieces we then are welcomed to the indoors of the Bay of Naples’ homes.

Most of these attributes were derived from the Grecian culture around 210 BC and disseminated all over Rome (Nardo, 60). Not only did the people contribute to the arts, but so did the government, which built bronze statues of the emperors or Gods, like the statue of Marcus Aurelius in 175 AD, and decorated the currency with elaborate drawings (Hinds, 172). A lasting example of the Roman taste of the arts was preserved in Pompeii after the volcanic eruption. According to written documents, a museum owned by two wealthy businessmen in Pompeii was available for public viewing, which displayed the gratitude of the people of Pompeii toward their own culture (Hinds, 178).

For each I've chosen one main source, and gathered a variety of other sources to help explain and reinforce it further. I find that one source (particularly buildings alone) are not enough to base all of the information on, and you gain a more comprehensive understanding by combining them.

Historians consider the Forum to be the ‘centre of Pompeian life’ therefore it is an important aspect to study as numerous buildings and many events occurred there. From the latest evidence, it is believed that the Pompeian Forum was undergoing a ‘comprehensive, vigorous and ambitious post-earthquake restoration.’ (Bradley. 2005, p.87). The Forum at Herculaneum, however, is still buried under the town of Resina and therefore there is not enough physical evidence to provide a great depth of information. Studies were concentrated on the Forum at Pompeii.

The town itself had many temples devoted to their gods. The city even had an amphitheatre, which is the oldest of its kind dating back to 80 BC. The people of Pompeii had a serene living condition and well function social classes.

Schliemann’s first excavation officially began in 1971, and scholars have been debating the scientific legitimacy of his finds ever since. The rediscovery of his most famous find, Priam’s treasure, in the Pushkin Museum in 1993 reignited the debate over the legitimacy of his treasures. Scholarly opinions have ranged from Schliemann being a pathological liar who sought only to create a legacy for himself to Schliemann being a relatively skilled and honest archaeologist for his time who did not have the tools to successfully excavate such a large site. Although it is easy to assume that Schliemann’s dishonesty in his professional and personal life carried over to his archaeological career, it would severely bias our opinion of the factual works of Schliemann. Instead, we must answer three questions in order to judge the legitimacy and significance of his findings. First, did Heinrich Schliemann lie about his discoveries at Hisarlik? Second, was Heinrich Schliemann a good archaeologist? Finally, did Schliemann answer the Homeric question? By examining Schliemann’s works in the context of these questions and not the context of his life before Hisarlik, we can ignore any prejudice that comes from Schliemann’s

Although most paintings in Pompeii were of the prosperous class, there are still some paintings of the less exalted. These paintings weren’t as frequent as the murals that the wealthy had but they still represented the superiority of men. In the taverns catering to the lower classes there were frescos painted on the walls giving insight into the life of the less exalted. In the painting “Scences in a Pompeii Tavern, In the first picture, it shows a prostitute, kissing a man, while the caption above reads: “I don’t want to, with

House of the Vettii The House of the Vettii belonged to two freedmen, Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus, who amassed a fortune through a flourishing business. The House of the Vettii is not unusually large for the time or social standing of its owners, but it is obvious that the Vettii were affluent Pompeian citizens and the house compares to the other large, lavish houses found in Pompeii. (Mau, 1899: 315) Excavated in the late 19th century, the house is most notable for its remarkably well-preserved frescoes, beautiful garden and large triclinium. The rooms included in the house and the decoration in the various rooms reflect trends in Roman domestic architecture and art in

Pompeii provides us with the perfect example of a typical roman city and is arguably the most famous site for archaeologists in the world after the events in 79AD. When considering how far Romanized Pompeii had become by the time of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius it is important for us to take into considerations defining factors that made up Roman cities such as the Political set up, the Governments in place, structure of the city and even the religious aspects of the city, which is all somewhat apparent from Pompeii through discoveries. Within this essay I will compare the defining features that made up a typical Roman city and compare them to what we know of how Pompeii was set up.