The Buried

Treasures

of Pompeii

Pompeii and the Roman Empire

Pompeii was part of the

Roman Empire. Ancient

Rome was a powerful

and important civilization

that ruled much of

Europe for nearly 1,000

years. Rome's culture

still has an impact in the

Western world today.

The basis for much of

western culture comes

from Ancient Rome,

especially in areas such

as government,

engineering,

architecture, language,

and literature.

http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_rome.php

History of Pompeii

• Pompeii was an ancient Roman city, buried when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in the year 78 AD.

• 2000 years later, archaeologists uncovered the city which was buried under 20 feet of rock and ashes.

• When archaeologists dug out the city, they learned a great deal from the ruins because it had been so well preserved.

(www. http://rome.mrdonn.org/pompeii.html)

This is an artist’s rendition of what Pompeii may have looked like in all

its glory.

To See a Representation of this Kind of Volcanic Eruption, click on the following website:

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/pompeii/pmpErup.html

Archaeologists have worked for a long time to unearth the Ancient City of Pompeii. This is what the ruins of Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the

background look like today.

There have been many interesting and important discoveries made in Pompeii which have given us clues to how these people lived.

Street with Crossing Steps

Steam Bath at the Forum

Public Fountain

Statue of a Woman

Some of the most important discoveries have come in the area of “ART!” Archaeologists have found hundreds of “FRESCOES” in the homes of the wealthy people of Pompeii—some of the earliest “interior decorating and design” anywhere in the world! Thanks to historians we have descriptions of the technique of the fresco. Frescoes are paintings that are mixed with plaster so that they actually become part of the wall! This is how the process works: •Step 1: 1-3 coats of a mixture of sand and lime (mortar) were applied to a wall. •Step 2: 1-3 coats of more lime, this time mixed with finely powdered marble, were applied to create a mirror-like sheen on the surface. •Step 3: Sheets of lead were inserted into the wall to prevent capillary action that would allow moisture to damage the pigment. •Step 4: While the lime-marble powder mix was still wet, pigments were applied to the fresh (or fresco) surface. Primary colors were applied first by making light incisions on the fresh plaster surface. Softer, pastel colors were applied when the plaster was dry.

http://www.metmuseum.org/

Mosaic of Street

Musicians

Fresco at the Marketplace

This Fresco decorated the walls of a garden. What do you notice about this fresco?

What colors do you see? Would you want something like this in your home? What

kinds of animals and flowers are represented? Any other observations?

Garden Room Fresco at the Villa

of Livia

Suggested Art Project: Design Your Own Fresco!!

Supplies Needed: E-Z Form Plaster Cloth Wrap ($3.99/Hobby Lobby), Pre-cut into

4”X6” rectangles—one for each child

Newspaper or Table cloths to go under art project—will get messy!

Paper Plates for Drying

Paint Brushes

Tempera or Watercolor Paints

Large Bowls for Water

Paper Towels

Have the children imagine they are ancient Roman citizens and are decorating the

walls of their homes. Give each child a 4X6 piece of dampened E-Z Form Plaster

Cloth. Using the back end of their paint brush have them lightly “carve” (slight

impression/indentation) a design into the plaster. Then, they can use paints to

decorate their fresco. The frescoes should dry by the end of the day so the

children can take them home.