Archeology

Archeology of Pompeii Leland Collins Rising From the Ashes: The Unearthing of Pompeii Pompeii was the ancient city created by the Roman’s and destroyed by the epic eruption of Vesuvius. Pompeii was long forgotten until its rediscovery in 1748 in the area of Pompeii known as the “Citiva.” (Nappo) The art objects found in Pompeii were the main reasons for excavations, in fact they were sent to the private collection of Bourbon King Charles. Unfortunately, the majority of the wall paintings were destroyed beyond repair. (Nappo) During France’s control of Naples the excavations of Pompeii began to take on another form. The French began to uncover Pompeii with a greater sense of care not seen during the excavations of the 1750s. By 1860 the Pompeii excavation headed by Giuseppe Fiorelli uncovered most of the western part of the city, and managed to preserve most of the historic findings through a new system. (Nappo) Fiorelli instructed his team of archeologist to uncover houses from the top down and take records of all the findings. This allowed archeologist to preserve buildings, learn from findings, and record artifacts and buildings for further studies. (Nappo) In fact, many prestigious and important buildings have been excavated for the world to see and for scholars to study. For example, the Temple of Vespian, which has been uncovered from the ashes of Pompeii, has allowed archeologist to have a glimpse into the religion and culture of the ancient Romans. This temple depicts the sacrificing of a bull to the Gods on the principle side of the building. Archeologists have also discovered a relief of two laurel trees, which symbolizes Vespian. (Bonechi, 28) The discoveries of houses in Pompeii also help historians define the every day life style of a typical Roman. The houses found in Pompeii usually had a center courtyard or atrium with a tank used for collecting rainwater. (Adkins and Adkins, 142) This offers scholars and archeologist alike a glimpse into the daily life of a Roman. However, the most important finds in Pompeii have been the discovery of the human casts. These casts showed the final hours of the people of Pompeii and allows archeologist to actually see the people who lived in this city that was buried thousands of years ago. (Nappo) The discoveries have aroused interest all throughout European countries and have been a major catalyst in the creation of academic establishments dedicated to education of these newly unearthed cities. (Nappo) Foremost these finds have offered the world a well preserved and intact insight into the entire Roman Empire and specifically the people who inhabited the city of Pompeii.

Works Cited 1) Giuntoli, Stefano. Art and History of Pompeii. Trans. Erika Pauli. Italy, Florence: Casa Editrice Bonechi, 1989. 2) Adkins, Lesly, and Roy Adkins. Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1994. 3) Nappo, Salvatore. "Pompeii: Its Discovery and Preservation." Ancient History Romans . 06 Apr 2003. BBC. 3 Dec 2008 . 4) Blanchard, Paul. "The Streets of Pompeii." Tour of Italy. Tourality. 3 Dec 2008 . 5) Dobbins, John . "POMPEII FORUM PROJECT." 29 Sep 2008. Verginia Edu. . 3 Dec 2008 .