Pompeii and Herculaneum HSC Notes

8/19/2019 Pompeii and Herculaneum HSC Notes

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Pompeii and Herculaneum

1. Geographical Context

Syllabus

Point

Content Sources/

EvidenceThe

physical

environme

nt: the

geographic

al setting,

natural

featuresand

resources

of Pompeii

and

Herculane

um

Located in Campania in southern taly. The area had

very fertile soils due to !esuvius and this "as good

for gro"ing crops and #reeding animals. $oth to"ns

"ere near the sea "hich facilitated trade "ith other

parts of the %editerranean. &esources include olives

used to ma'e oil, grapes used to ma'e "ine( volcanic

material) pumice "as used for the #uilding of roads

and houses. *ther resources include +sh, "ool andcrops.

Pliny the lder

"rote of the

physical

attri#utes of

Campania and

resources.

Plans and

streetscap

es ofPompeii

and

Herculane

um

The to"n of Pompeii is small #y &oman standards,

covering an area of -- hectares. t "as heavily

inuenced #y Gree' principles of ur#an planning and"as made up of insulae( #loc's "hich contained

houses. /ome only contained one house "hile others

contained a do0en or more houses. &omans

legislated that streets had to #e a minimum of

metres "ide. 2t Pompeii most streets conformed to

this la", ho"ever at Herculaneum some streets "ere

only 3.m "ide. 4ecumani "ere roads that ran from

east to "est and Cardines "ere roads that ran from

north to south and met at right angles. /tepping

stones provided for pedestrian use "hile still giving

access to "heeled tra5c. n this "ay Pompeiians

could cross the roads "ithout stepping in the

se"erage that overo"ed the gutters "hen it rained.

3. The nature of sources and evidence

/ylla#usPoint

Content /ources6 vidence


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The range

of

availa#le

sources,

#oth"ritten

and

archaeolo

gical,

including

ancient

"riters,

o5cial

inscriptio

ns,

gra5ti,

"all

paintings,

statues,

mosaics,

human

andanimal

remains

Human remains: /'eletal remains, #ones and

casts are a valua#le source of information a#out

victims. 7e can in8uire into the victim9s sex,

age, appearance, height, health, diet, occupation

and cause of death. /'eletons are preserved ingood condition due to #eing covered under

pumice and ash. 2rchaeologist /ara $isel

excavated and studied s'eletons found on the

#each at Herculaneum. /he assessed their

health and clothing and made calculated

assumptions on "hat their role may have #een

in society. The average male from Herculaneum

"as 1-cm tall and the average female "as

1cm tall. %ost had good teeth "ith an average

of three cavities each, caused #y the grit in the

#read. They had a "ell) #alanced diet and "ere

on the "hole "ell) nourished. They ate a lot of

seafood "hich is rich in uoride and accounts for

the healthy teeth. /ome had high levels of lead

in their #ones #ut it "as not caused #y simply

drin'ing the "ater. 2nimals have #een preserved

in casts indicating that the people ate or farmedthese.

Ancient writers: 4io Cassius "rites a#out the

eruption #ased on the account of people living

around aples. /ome of the things he says seem

far) fetched li'e people gathered in masses in

the theatre. Pliny the ;ounger "rote of his

experience running a"ay from the eruption

years after it happened and he has ta'en on a

mythical context, dramatising the scene. /eneca

descri#ed various aspects of the city.

Ofcial inscriptions: provide evidence for the

structure of government, prominent families and

+nancial contri#utions to construction of pu#lic

#uildings.


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Grafti: Propaganda messages to urge citi0ens

to vote for a particular candidate. /ome also

promoted gladiators. *ther topics include #ars,

love, and recreation and advertising "omen in#rothels. Gra5ti "as an accepted practice in

Pompeii and Herculaneum. There is an issue "ith

+guring out the dates that the gra5ti "as

inscri#ed. The countless num#er of inscriptions

sho" that Pompeii "as a literate society. Gra5ti

sho"s that #y advertising and promoting a

candidate for o5ce a client) patron relationship

"as esta#lished.

Statues/ Sculptures: 7ere a useful indicator of

social status( due to their "orth, religion and

prominent people.

all Paintin!s and mosaics: Give evidence

a#out culture, inuences and values.


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stayed outdoors died of asphyxiation as they

#reathed in very +ne ash "hich formed a stic'y

paste in their lungs. n Herculaneum, people died

of the follo"ing causes. They "ere engulfed #y a

pyroclastic o" "hich travelled at FAA'm anhour. The high temperatures caused their #rains

to #oil and their #odies vaporised, #ecoming

s'eletons immediately. The lac' of oxygen

caused items and human and animal remains to

#e car#onised and preserved.

"as a#out FA 'm

a#ove the earth.

The

economy:

trade,

commerc

e,

industries

,

occupatio

ns

"rade: Pompeii and Herculaneum "ere smallplaces and therefore had small local economies.2s they "ere near a port, trade "as a#undant.

The har#or "as #usy "ith ships, sailors andforeign merchants. %erchants came from allacross Campania on mar'et days to sell theirmanufactured merchandise. The most "ell)'no"n exports "ere "ine, olive oil, garum sauceand "ool. Pompeii imported products fromplaces such as /pain, other parts of taly, Gauland Greece. *ccupations include agricultural"or'ers, #a'ers, #an'ers, doctors, +shermen,gladiators and actors, prostitutes, s'illed artisans

and tavern6#ar >caupona6themopolium?operators. Herculaneum "as a 8uiet to"n ofupper class citi0ens "ho "ere served #y lo"erclass citi0ens.

The fullery of

/tephanus and

umachias "ool

store house in the


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Commerce: -AA

privately o"ned

shops, "or'shops,

#ars, taverns and

inns have #eenexcavated. Private

houses often had a

front room used as a

ta#erna9 i.e. a

tavern./ocial

structure:

men,

"omen,

freedmen,

slaves

The highest class in &oman society "ere the

no#ility. They held o5ce in positions such as

senators, magistrates, duumviri and aediles. The

next class "ere the e8uestrians or #usiness

people "ho "ere tax collectors, #an'ers, miners

and exporters and also #uilt roads and

a8ueducts. The mass of the people "ere the

Ple#eians "ho had a range of occupations.

$elo" them "ere the freedmen. Their status "as

lo" and they could not hold o5ce although some

"ere "ealthy. The lo"est class "ere slaves. The

pater familias "as the head of the house andhad every authority over his children and "ife

including life and death. 7omen could not hold

o5ce or vote and "ere not considered citi0ens.

7omen in Pompeii had to #e dependent and

lin'ed to a close male relative or hus#and. They

could not vote or ta'e part in politics and "ere

restricted from ma'ing independent decisions,

for example #usiness decisions, #ut evidence

suggests that they actively too' part in pu#lic

life. %any "omen "or'ed in conBunction "ith

their hus#ands or found "ays to gain inuence

or independence "ithout a male. They could o"n

and operate taverns, inns and #ars. 7ealthy

"omen could fund #uilding proBects or donate to

the council in order to gain recognition and

status( ho"ever they had no say in ho" the

money "as used. They could #uy, sell and leaseproperty #ut "ere not allo"ed to #ecome

The "omen9s seats

in the amphitheatre

highlight their lo"

status as they "ere

only permitted to sit

right at the #ac'(

even #ehind the

slaves

Gra5ti in front of

houses and shops

a#out upcomingelections "as often

done #y "omen,

highlighting their

interest in pu#lic life.

=ulia


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#an'ers. Priestesses "ere the most inuential

"omen. 2 "oman could only operate

independently, for example in #usiness or trade,

if she "as "ido"ed.

upper class family.

/he donated money

to the council and

"as recognised in

inscriptions.Local

political

life

The 2ediles >3? "ere responsi#le for the

maintenance of streets, roads and pu#lic

#uildings and the supervision of the mar'et.

They "ere also responsi#le for the Budicial

system and games and pu#lic entertainment.

The o5ce a#ove them "as the duumviri >3?.

They carried out the decrees of the 4ecurion

council, administered local +nance and handled

local la" cases. $oth magistrates held their

position for one year and then there "ould #e

another election. They "ere normally "ealthy

and funded proBects "ith their o"n money to

ma'e themselves or their families 'no"n.

4ecision ma'ing "as assisted #y a council of

1AA mainly ex magistrates. ;oung men #egan

their political career path cursus honorum9 #y

#ecoming priests and participating in politicallife to #ecome 'no"n. The Comitium "as the

people9s assem#ly9 "here adult men and

freedmen elected magistrates and voted

honours. The ordo decurionum met in the Curia

and made la"s "hich "ere carried out #y

magistrates.veryday

life:

leisure

activities,

food and

dining,

clothing,

health,

#aths,

"ater

supplyand

Pompeii and Herculaneum had a technologically

advanced method of water supply consisting of

a8ueducts. 7ater "as derived from the 2r8uaro

/prings and #rought in #y the /erinium

a8ueduct. t "as then distri#uted #y the

Castellum 28uae "hich divided the "ater into

the three lead pipes to provide for diEerent

areas of the city. The Castellum Plum#eum "as a

lead pillar that acted as a pressure top and

ensured e8ual "ater pressure so that it could

reach "ater fountains, latrines, #aths andhouses. The "ater also o"ed to secondary


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sanitation tan's of "hich 1@ have #een found. Pompeians

did not have to go more than A metres to

collect "ater from a fountain. xcess "ater ran

do"n the street and cleared ru##ish. The

"ealthy could have "ater connected to theirhouses for a fee.

Clot#in!) 7e only 'no" a#out clothing from

artistic depictions ho"ever this not "hat "as

"orn in everyday life. The toga "as a ceremonial

out+t "orn #y men and stola "as the ceremonial

out+t of "omen. These restricted movement so

in everyday life a short tunic "as "orn #y men.

8uestrians had purple stripes on their tunic and

their "idth sho"ed their ran'. Ple#eians and

slaves "ore a similar tunic made of courser "ool.

$at#s "ere a popular place to sociali0e, #athe,exercise, get massages, conduct #usiness andengage prostitutes. Apodyterium: changingroom. Palaestra: exercise area. Trepidarium:warm room. Calidarium: hot room, Frigidarium:cold room.$aths include the /ta#ian #aths and


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temples,

forum,

theatres,

palaestra,

amphitheatres

activities too' place. mpressive pu#lic #uildings

served to reinforce the progressive nature of the

&omans. The temple o' (upiter or Capitolium

"as dedicated to =upiter, =uno and %inerva. The

)acellum or mar'et place "as "here +shproduce "as sold as "ell as other agricultural

goods. The )ensa Ponderaria "as a pu#lic

measuring ta#le "here the "eights and

measures used in shops and mar'ets "ere

chec'ed. The "emple o' t#e %aires housed

statues of the royal family and the "emple o'

*espasian "as #uilt #y the priestess %amia as

a tri#ute to the city. "#e $uildin! o'

Eumac#ia, "hich "as constructed #y the

priestess umachia could have #een used as a

mar'et for "oollen cloth or a more civic purpose

as a meeting place. The $asilica housed the la"

courts of Pompeii. The interior "as decorated

"ith imitation mar#le and had gra5ti on it.

Pu#lic toilets or Latrines9 "ere also included in

the


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houses,

shops

rooms of the house "hich opened up onto the

street "ere used as shops. Houses "ere

designed to provide maximum security and

privacy from the noise of the city and so had

thic' "alls and heavy doors. They loo'ed in"ardto a courtyard rather than out"ard to the street.

Houses of the "ealthy had a door from the street

"hich opened into a narro" hall"ay. 2n entrance

hall called the atrium contained the household

shrine >lalarium?. n the oor of the atrium

directly #elo" the compluvium, an opening in

the ceiling that let in light and air "as a

rectangular pool called the impluvium. This

collected rain "ater from the roof. The "ater

then piped oE to the houses "ater storage tan'

>cistern?. The reception room >ta#linum? "as

"here the head of the house received clients

and other visitors. The house included an inner

courtyard called the peristyle and one or t"o

dining rooms. $edrooms >cu#icula? "ere small

and usually "indo"less. There "as a familyroom >oecus? and a small 'itchen "ith Bust

enough room for an oven, a #ench and a sin'.

!illas "ere #uilt in the countryside outside the

to"ns and along the coast outside of

Herculaneum. They had terraces, verandas,

pergolas and "indo"s loo'ing out to the sea.

They "ere summer holiday retreats for the

"ealthy.

ot all people lived in spacious homes. There

"ere many small family houses "hich consisted

of cramped living 8uarters a#ove shops and

"or'shops. 2fter the 24-3 earth8ua'e some of

the larger houses had #een divided into small

ats. There are examples of cheap and rushed

repairs and renovations. There "ere many largeapartment #loc's providing lo" cost housing in

for its #eautiful

murals depicting the

cult of 4ionysus. t

has -A rooms. The

!illa of Papyri hadela#orate fountains

and statues and the

greatest collection of

ancient #ron0es ever

to #e found. The

most precious +nd in

this villa "as the

li#rary of papyri.


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&ome in the +rst century 24, some "ith up to

storeys. There is evidence for an apartment

#uilding in Herculaneum that is more than 1F

metres tall.

nuenceof Gree'

and

gyptian

culture:

art,

architectu

re,

religion

Gree' and gyptian inuence "as an integralpart of art, architecture and religion in Pompeii

and Herculaneum. The Gree' language "as a

sign of education for the &omans. Gree' culture

predated Latin culture in southern taly. This

meant that there "as preference for Gree'

artistic styles and religion and art often depicted

Gree' and gyptian su#Bect matter. The &omans

adopted Gree' stoa >long columned #uildings?

and the diEerent styles of columns >onic,

Corinthian and 4oric?. *ther features of Gree'

architecture include the peristyle >courtyard? in

temples. &eligion that "as adopted from Greece

includes the cult of 4ionysus and the &oman

adaptation of the Gree' Pantheon >family of

gods?. The name Herculaneum possi#ly derived

from the Gree' god Hercules and it "as #elieved

that he had once spent time in the city.

gyptian inuence "as due to its introduction to

the &oman mpire in F1$C, although trade and

cultural lin's #et"een Pompeii and 2lexandria

has existed since the 3nd century $C. The cult of

sis "as a maBor cult in Pompeii and

Herculaneum. The House of =ulia gens? "as

"orshipped and

associated "ith

peace and good

fortune. 2fter his

death the "orship of

each emperor "as

oEered as part of

the state cult.

&eligion:temples,

The &oman9s "orshipped their o"n version ofthe Gree' Pantheon as "ell as other imported

Temple sacri+cesand votive oEerings


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househol

d gods,

foreign

cults,

tom#s

cults. Hercules "as also "orshipped and a

num#er of statues of Hercules have #een found

in Herculaneum #ut a temple has not #een found

yet.

,orei!n cults: 4ionysus "as the Gree' god of

fertility and divine intoxication. He oEered

devotees a state of ecstasy that came from

intoxication #y the God and "as associated "ith

a lac' of restraint. *ne message of the cult "as

that the natural passions had to #e

ac'no"ledged for a human society to #e sta#le

and #alanced.

The cult of sis "as one of the most popular

cults. 7orshippers "ere mostly "omen, slaves,

freedmen, traders, soldiers and later as the cult

#ecame more popular, o5cials. sis "as 'no"n

for her healing po"ers, displayed "hen she

#rought her hus#and *siris #ac' to life after he

had #een 'illed and cut up into pieces #y his

#rother. /he found parts of his #ody all overgypt and pieced these parts to resurrect him.

/ince she didn9t +nd his penis she fashioned a

ne" one from dirt and #y this means #ecame

pregnant "ith his child Horus. The +nding of

*siris #ecame a sym#ol of resurrection and "as

lin'ed to the rising of the sun and to the rene"al

of the "orld through the seasons. n ovem#er

at the


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"ashing of the statue of the goddess. n the

afternoon there "as a special #lessing and

puri+cation "ith ile "ater 'ept in a tan'. There

is no direct evidence of a temple of sis at

Herculaneum #ut the num#er of sis)


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household shrines suggests that sacri+ces "ere

performed on a domestic scale. The

neigh#ourhood sacri+ced at cross roads or

altars.

ritualistic dance. t is

suggested that cult

o#Bects and their

placement indicate

the "orship of/a#a0ius. T"o right

hands made from

#ron0e are

interpreted as ritual

hands that "ere

used in a rite of

divination. n the

palm of the hand is

a seated +gure of

/a#a0ius. He "ears

clothes associated

"ith Phrygia. He is

standing on a ram9s

head and is near a

sna'e, #oth of "hich

are his sym#ols.

House#old

reli!ion: *ne

"ooden example of

a shrine of the Lares

has survived in a

car#oni0ed state in

the House of the

$lac' /alon at

Herculaneum. 2

cavity in the ground

has #een excavated

and appears to store

the #one remains

left over from

sacri+ce. $ones of

lam#s and coc'erels

indicate sacri+cialanimals.


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F. nvestigating, reconstructing and preserving the past

Syllabus

Point

Content Sources/

EvidenceChanging

methods

and

contri#ution

s of

nineteenth

and

t"entieth

century

archaeologis

ts to our

understandi

ng of

Pompeii and

Herculaneu

m

arly archaeologists laid out the platform for further

research on Pompeii and Herculaneum. Their

innovations allo"ed for the discovery of more

advanced preservation and reconstruction methods.


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into a crisis after the earth8ua'e of 24-3, resulting

in the patricians leaving the city and leaving lo"er

classes to da##le in politics. He uncovered many

signi+cant #uildings such as The House of %enander

and many more. He deepened excavations atsigni+cant locations to investigate pre) &oman levels

and restored the tri#unal of the #asilica and roofs of

houses. He also studied the structure of "alls and

to"ers.

&uggerio is also a prominent +gure and "as

responsi#le for the consolidation and restoration of

over -AA paintings from the House of the /ilver

7edding and the House of the $alcony.Changing

interpretatio

ns: impact

of ne"

research

and

technologies

e" technologies and techni8ues give

archaeologists ne" perspectives that challenge

previous interpretations. n the last @A years there

has #een little ne" excavation in Pompeii and eEorts

have #een concentrated of preservation. %uch of

archaeology is no" carried out in the la#oratory,

instead of on the site, and tiny fragments of pollen,

charcoal and su#stances found in containers revealthings a#out Pompeii. /ome of the recent research

done in an 2pplied &esearch La#oratory includes a

study of contents in Bars and a geomorphologic

reconstruction of the !esuvian area #efore the 24DI

eruption.

2ustralian archaeologist, Penelope 2llison,

investigated the remains of houses in order to reveal

the domestic lives of the people in Pompeii.

2rchaeologist 7ilhelmina =ashems'i made an

extensive study on gardens, orchards and vineyards

in Pompeii. /he is credited "ith creating a ne" +eld

in archaeology: the investigation of ancient gardens.

Her research is credited "ith revealing information

a#out diet and trade.

stelle La0er used techni8ues of forensic medicine

2spects of

everyday life

such as the

function of

homes, food

and gardens

reveal

informationa#out health,

culture, trade.

tc.

2llison studied

the location of

everyday

artefacts and

furniture "ithin

ordinary

households in

order to

interpret the

room9s

function. The

changed

interpretationgained from


16/23

and physical anthropology to determine gender, age,

height, signs of disease and population

characteristics. /he "or'ed on a sample of

disarticulated #ones stored in the /arno and


17/23

poured plaster

over

car#onised tree

roots, vines

and pollenfound in the

ash to reveal

the fruit and

vegeta#les

gro"n in

Campania. /he

discovered a

large

commercial

vineyard, near

the

amphitheatre

"hich provides

evidence

regarding

trade, leisure

>as it "as neara commercial

place? and diet.

Ho"ever this

has not #een

investigated

yet.ssues of

conservatio

n and

reconstructi

on: talian

and

international

contri#ution

s and

responsi#iliti

es( impactof tourism

Environmental 'actors cause issues of

conservation. 7eeds hasten the decay of the site #y

pushing crac's open and penetrating plaster

surfaces. Poor drainage results in fungi that erode

the oors of the #uildings.


18/23

Poor -uality restoration wor. is caused #y a lac'

of organisation and a lac' of consulting

archaeologists. KConservation is an experimental

science says 2ndre" 7allace Hadrill. Mr#an andinfrastructural planning near#y causes the

movement of the earth "hich aEects the ancient

structures. &estoration "or' is done #y +rms "ith

little specialised 'no"ledge, often chosen "ith the

aim of doing the cheapest Bo# possi#le and up

'eeping the site temporarily for tourists.

Conservators do last minute repairs instead of

systematic maintenance to prevent sudden

collapses. *ften structures #uilt to protect sites

actually damage them. The tim#er roof erected on

the House of %eleager in Pompeii could not support

the "eight of the tiles. t collapsed, ta'ing "ith it

parts of the #uilding. %any frescoes have #een left in

the sun and have faded completely. The poor

drainage system means that "ater erodes #uildings

and oor mosaics. The "rong choice of modern

materials "hich are unsuita#le to sustain the sitecause more damage than protection. /teel and

concrete have #een used together. 7here the

concrete has a'ed a"ay, the exposed steel has

rusted and expanded, ma'ing crac's in the #uilding.

The poor 8uality mortar over the ancient stone"or'

has caused it to decay and the salts that modern

concrete, plaster or mortar contain also do damage.

7hole paintings have #een destroyed due to

attempts to stic' them #ac' on the "alls using a ne"

mortar. The old and ne" mortars resulted in a

chemical reaction causing the paintings to crac'.

&esin varnish and "ax coatings have #een used in

an attempt to protect frescoes #ut instead they have

sealed the painting against the damp and salt

#uilding up #ehind the plaster.

"#e mana!ement o' tourists and protection'rom t#e eapolitan )a0a are issues regarding


19/23

the conservation of the site. The %a+a often corrupt

"or'ers in order to steal from the site and sell on the

#lac' mar'et. Tourists oEer #ri#es to custodians to

#e allo"ed into closed areas and cause further

erosion of the site. Pompeii and Herculaneum have#een su#Bect to looting since the earliest excavations

and many artefacts are in private collections. n

1IIA a store room "as ro##ed at Herculaneum and

more than 3A artefacts "ere ta'en including the

gold Be"ellery "orn #y the &ing Lady9. t is thought

that there "as #lac'mailing #et"een the eapolitan

%a+a and the "or'ers and directors of the site for

this to happen. There is no re8uirement for tourists

to chec' in large #ags #efore entering, therefore

providing ideal conditions for theft. There aren9t

enough guards to stop tourists from entering closed

areas or clim#ing ruins, leaving the site su#Bect to

negligent #ehaviour. The lac' of educational

information in the area means tourists do not

respect or appreciate "hat they are loo'ing at. They

often lean or sit on structures or thro" "ater on

frescoes to see them clearer. They also may samplepieces of the site "hich is detrimental due to the

large num#er of tourists that do this. 4ogs cause

damage to the site #ut have no" #een removed.

o"adays maps and audio guides have #een

included in a feat to help visitors appreciate the

artefacts. Closer monitoring of conservation resulted

in the head of a construction company #eing

arrested for violating the terms of an earlier

preservation proBect "ith the aim of maximising

costs. o"adays there are random inspections to

ma'e sure local %a+a has not strong) armed its "ay

into restoration "or'. The custodians have #een

reprimanded for as'ing tourists for money to sho"

them areas closed to the pu#lic.

"#e 0!#t between t#ose w#o want to modi'y

t#e ancient city 'or tourism purposes andt#ose w#o want to preserve it in its aut#entic


20/23

state is a conservation issue. n 3A1A a

commissioner "ith po"ers to su#vert #ureaucracy

"as placed under investigation on suspicion of using

state money for proBects that "ent #eyond

maintenance, li'e renovating an old theatre forperformances. This "as done 8uic'ly "ithout

consulting archaeologists and this theatre is used for

performances to this day. %oney is #eing invested to

glamori0e the city for tourism purposes and this

reconstruction alters it from its original state, posing

threats to the integrity of the site. 2n example of this

is the hologram of tour "here =ulius Poly#ius, a

no#leman of 2ncient Pompeii, guides visitors around

a F4 virtual version of his villa. There are constant

collapses due to #uildings that receive no or little

maintenance #ecause they are not main tourist

attractions. Tourists are important #ecause of the

revenue they #ring #ut that may #e at the cost of

the integrity and condition of the site. The daily

tra5c of people causes streets to erode and too

much human contact "ith the structures causes

damage.

Throughout the years there have #een many proBects

initiated #y international partners "hich have helped

"ith the preservation of the site. 1nternational

contributions include a N1FD million eEort #y the

European 2nion "hich aims to #alance preserving

the authenticity of the site "ith accessi#ility to

tourists. The Houses in Pompeii3 Pro4ect

investigated #uildings "hich had #een excavated #ut

had not #een recorded. The 1nsula o' )enander

pro4ect "as a three stage analysis and

documentation of a "hole insula "hich aimed to

address de+ciencies in earlier records conducted #y

%aiuri. There "ere three stages put in place to

determine architecture, interior decoration and the

examination of loose +nds. 2rchitects and drafts

people analysed surviving structures, archaeologistsdated "alls and oors and experts in "all) painting,


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mosaics and pottery studied loose +nds and

decorations. "#e Pompeian ,orum pro4ect,

other"ise 'no"n as the Porta Stabia pro4ect is

dependent on advanced technology, particularly

computer science and is ongoing to this day. TheproBect "as initiated #ecause the existing

architectural plans for the


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study and

display of

human

remains

of monuments and sites. Mnaccepta#le conduct

includes the practice of posing s'eletons for

dramatic aEect. n %aiuri9s time, a pile of s'eletons

"ere glued together and portrayed to the "orld as if

they had #een found li'e that. This "as done fortourism purposes and "as eventually revealed #y

stelle La0er in the 1IIA9s. /ome #ones "ere also

found to #e fa'es and La0er discovered that

s'eletons had #een put together in inaccurate "ays,

for example "ith t"o left thigh #ones. These 'inds of

practices demean the historical value of the site and

promote false information.

The nternational Council of %useums does not #an

human remains #ut rather encourages sensitivity to

community reactions. There are some religions

"hich are against the display of human remains. n

taly the display of human remains is a long tradition

as the #odies of saints and martyrs have #een

displayed this "ay for hundreds of years, so this is

not an issue.

There is the ethical argument a#out human remains

#eing displayed "here they "ere found or in a

museum. $odies are displayed in Pompeii9s Garden

of the


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important to 'eep information authentic and

availa#le to avoid corruption and misinformation.

Pompeii and Herculaneum HSC Notes

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Transcript of Pompeii and Herculaneum HSC Notes