Researching Pompeii
The Italian city of Pompeii, suited as home to more than 20,000 people over 2000 years ago. Pompeii is known as one of the most fascinating and mysterious places for modern day archaeologists. Unfortunately, in 79 A.D., there was a massive eruption of Mt.Vesuvius near Pompeii that caused the city to fall under cover of ash.
In the late 16th century, Domenico Fontana made a first discovery of the ruins in Pompeii. The first excavation began in a city of Herculaneum in 1738. But the city of Pompeii was recognized few decades later, after the “Rei publicae Pompeianorum” inscription was found in 1763. It was Italian Giuseppe Fiorelli that became the director of excavations from1863 to 1875. Giuseppe introduced a better way
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 study of Pompeii and Herculaneum provides us with a wealth of sources – However we are faced with issues regarding their limitations, reliability and evaluation.”
In ancient Pompeii, there were many important establishments in the Forum. It was seen as the primal hub of the town, and due to the busy trading nature, a commercial centre for exchanging foreign goods was a necessity. However in Herculaneum, being a quiet fishing village, the structure of the Forum would have been very different to that of Pompeii.
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
Over the past centuries, since its discovery in 1749, many archaeologists have contributed to our understanding of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Archaeologists were initially focused on excavating, most of which were improperly done causing extensive damage. It wasn’t until the 19th century, when archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli introduced new excavation methods; those succeeded him include August Mau, Vittorio Spinazzola and Amendo Maiuri. Now attention has shifted towards conservations and restorations which are reflected in the works of Fausto Zevi and Pier Guzzo.
The Pompeii exhibition at LACMA was an astounding visualization of history. The exhibition provided all sorts of objects; from sculptures, glass figures, painted art, and more. These art pieces specify the kind of life that was taking place in the Bay of Naples during the second century. As we know the cities around the Bay of Naples, which include Pompeii and Herculaneum, became tourist attractions when the cities were excavated after they were buried from the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. However, the comprehension of how the art pieces made their way into the museum is just a little fact of the history behind them. With this exhibition we are able to feel like we are back in time and living in the exhilarating time of
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.
Human remains is the body of a deceased man, in whole or in parts, regardless of the way it looks or its stage of decomposition. Ethics can be used in the study and display of human remains at Pompeii and Herculaneum. A question we have to ask our self is, are we disrupting or disrespecting some ones culture when digging up the human remains?
Pompeii was a City in Italy which overall has a great significance in Roman culture. Pompeii was not famous for its rise or its rule but its destruction. Pompeii was a picture perfect world full of culture and rich history, It was destroyed in AD 79 by a Volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius. It was a symbol of Roman culture and has a great influence on the future even though it existed so long ago.
One of those ways is their regular daily objects. “Tiny boxes filled with dark, shiny powder tell us that the women liked to wear eye makeup” (The Buried City, 38). Jewelry, especially pearls at the time, was worn as well. Pompeii was full of graffiti. Etched-in phrases or words cover the city. Small grilling
Pompeii was a city of ancient Rome. Pompeii as well as Herculaneum and many other villas were destroyed and buried in 4 to 5m of ash and pumice due to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. This happened in 79 AD. Osci found the town in the 6th or 7th century BC. Rome then later on conquered it and made it a colony by 80BC. Approximately 160 years after the eruption, the population rised to 11,000 people, they had a complex water system, an amphitheatre, and a port. The eruption destroyed everything and buried it all under ash making it difficult to find any remains. This evidence was provided from Pliny the Younger who saw the whole thing from a distance and wrote a letter. His uncle was in the city at the time trying to help people make it out. He
Pompeii and Herculaneum blossomed near the edge of Mt. Vesuvius. At the time 20,000 people lived in Pompeii, Pompeii was a beautiful place and loved by many. 5,000 people lived in Herculaneum and many wealthy romans liked going their because it was gorgeous. It all happened after midnight, The Mt. Vesuvius volcano erupted and it covered all of Herculaneum. The people there tried to escape to Pompeii but sadly at 6:30 in the morning the volcano erupted again but even more powerful the people who tried to escape died almost instantly
Giuseppe Fiorelli was placed in charge of a Pompeian excavation in 1860 as the Inspector of Excavations and he established the idea to excavate the city in an organised and scientific way through the use of detailed maps and the record of each new find. Fiorelli is recognised for the creation of plaster casts as he observed cavities that resembled decomposed bodies and objects in the hardened debris. These casts were left over time as the flesh had disintegrated, leaving bones and a hollow impression in the volcanic rock. He recognised these casts as valuable sources and implemented the plaster casts to preserve the human remains, which showcase the final expressions and positions victims and citizens at the moment of their death. His objectives
The focus of this research paper is on Mount Vesuvius is two of its most deadly eruptions in 79 A.D. and 1631 that destroyed the ancient cities of Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum forcing the citizens to flee to the Bay of Naples to escape the ash falls and its pyroclastic flows. Both eruptions left the populations
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.