Archeological Remains Flashcards

1
Q

where are they in P and H? what do they provide?

A

Pompeii: unearthed below 4m of pumice, ash and other volcanic debris at
Herculaneum: under 20m of solidified volcanic material

provide insight/evidence for life in these Vesuvian towns during the 1st century D.

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2
Q

Quote to provide evidence of lack of documentation of artfeacts?

A

Andrew Wallace Hadrill - “ Each gen. discovers with horror the extent which info has been ignored, neglected, destroyed and left unreported and unpublished”

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3
Q

Public and Private Architectural Structures and Spaces

A
  • survived the AD 79 eruption
  • public buildings: walls/gates, fountains, temples, the forum, bathhouses, latrines, ampitheatre and paleastra
  • private buildings: town houses, villas, shops, tavern/inns, workshops: brothels, tombs
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4
Q

Formal Inscriptions on?

A

stone, marble, bronze

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5
Q

what types of formal inscriptions are there?

A
  • civic charters/regulations on bronze plates fixed to walls of public buildings.
  • dedications by wealthy citizens, social duty to provide buildings and festivals, support imperial cult.
    - > commemorative plaques found in prominent positions within city: public buildings, temples and pedestals for statues around forum e.g. Marcus Porcius who paid for ampitheatre
  • funery inscriptions found on tombs lining both sides of road outside H Gate in Pompeii.
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6
Q

What can historians learn form the formal inscriptions?

A

who prominent fam were in various periods, structure of gov., main political players, when buildings constructed/renovated, economic/social/political transformations in society, esp. in AD 1st C.

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7
Q

What do Public notices and graffiti refer to?

A

activities and events in years immediately preceding the eruption of AD79.

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8
Q

Public Notices: how written?

A

brush in red/black on whitewashed walls outside house or on buildings at person’s disposal
painted themselves or hired professional scribers at night

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9
Q

Public Notices: 3 types?

A
  • Electoral posters (progammata) - urged citizens to vote for partic. politcal candidate. -> signed by fam, friends, clients, women,
  • Programs announce shows coming to ampitheatre (edicta munerum) (important as electoral posters) local magistrates - editores munerum - responsible for paying gladiatorial shows/spectacles= popularity boost
  • notices for property sales and rentals, also painted on city walls, e.g. Julia Felix before eruption advertised part of her property for rent.
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10
Q

Graffiti: what is it?

A

inscriptions/drawings scratched into surface of any avail. walls.

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11
Q

Graffiti: P dedicated to Venus?

A

graffiti concerning love, devotion, jealousy, bitterness, sexual frustration scattered across city.

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12
Q

Graffiti: what is the most common type?

A

greatest amt related to gladiators, adored by Pompeian women, and gladiatorial spectacles = concentrated near ampitheatre.

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13
Q

Graffiti: most explicit found in?

A

brothels, baths and public latrines

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14
Q

Graffiti: What was it used for?

A
  • businesses promote their services, with customers not hesitating to responding/expressing their opinion.
  • comments about drinking and gambling
  • random declarations offering political opinions everywhere, angrier ones concentrated around basilica in P where justice, trials and business activities carried out. e.g. ‘Samius to Cornelius: go hang yourself’
  • express deepest opinions, feelings, gossip, threaten enemy, advertise.
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15
Q

Graffiti: What did ppl at time think of them?

A

writing on wall widespread. Ppl at time believed it to be ‘trash’/nonsense but today, invaluable source of info bout inhabitant of roman towns.

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16
Q

Wax Tablets and rolls of Papyri: What has been found at Pompeii?

A

2 bundles of wooden tablets coated with wax excavated at P, revealing business transactions of banker, Caecilius Jucundus and 2 merchants.

17
Q

Wax Tablets and rolls of Papyri: what do H ones reveal?

A

H tablets reveal legal status of freedmen, rel/ships between neighbours, family structure, quarrels over salves and between land owners.

18
Q

Wax Tablets and rolls of Papyri: What was found at Villa of Papyri?

A

just outside H, found 1800 fragile rolls of carbonised papyri, a library of writings of Epicurean philosophy. greek Philodemus believed to have written most it.

Due to charred condition, international Philodemus Project allowed it to be read. Multi-spectral imaging and digital tech, possibly to isolate writing form charred background.

19
Q

Frescoes: where is it found?

A

at all levels of society = elaborate mythological paintings in wealthy houses to simple thin lines of colour/geometric patterns in houses of lower social status.
areas isolated form public views, e.g. kitchen, had not paintings.
on walls, columns, nymphaeum, vaulted roofs of baths

20
Q

Frescoes: feature of style of painting that some houses/villas had?

A

megalography (larger than life figures extending all over walls) e.g. found in Villa of Mysteries, just outside P.

21
Q

Frescoes: what has the study of frescoes lead to?

A

in past 20yrs, study of them has expanded to reveal more complex and interesting purpose behind use of decoration in Pompeian houses.
evidence of religious beliefs, food and domestic practices

22
Q

Mosaics: What use to make them?

A

used thousands of tesserae or tiny chips of coloured glass, stone or pottery.

23
Q

Mosaics: What can be seen on floors of building in P and H?

A

geometric shapes and figurative elements (B&W)

24
Q

Mosaics: what is the most famous coloured one and where?

A

in House of Faun, featuring copy of Hellenistic composition of Alexander the Great fighting Darius at Battle of Issus.

25
Q

Decorative Garden and Household Furnishing: what has been found in P and H?

A

sculptures in bronze and marble found in homes of P and H, copied from Classical and hellenistic prototypes.
Garden displaying gods, such as Bacchus, hermes.

26
Q

Decorative Garden and Household Furnishing: what was used to show status?

A

decorations such as silver and fine ceramic ware. Antique pieces partic. sought after, such as silver plate among treasure of house of Meanders -> gold and silver jewellery/coins

27
Q

Popular Painting: where is it found?

A

on exterior walls or trade signs, reveal whole range of human activities such as scene of diff phases of production of wools,

28
Q

Popular Painting: why is ordinariness of objects found important?

A

valuable to build picture of daily life, e.g. lararium and pot in kitchen

29
Q

Statues: what is common material used to make them

A

bronze and marble

30
Q

Statues: what were all public buildings decorated with? in private homes?

A

profusion of statues varying artistic value. Some statues commemorative, other depicted illustrious citizens.
private homes depicted gods, copied greek masterpieces, athletes, ladies and busts.

31
Q

Statues: what was it used for?

A

garden ornamentation or tomb decoration

32
Q

Human, animal and plant remains: What has been found?

A
  • human skeletons remains from beach at H
  • disarticulated bones, and plaster and resin casts from P
  • remains of horses and mules in stables, dogs some still chained at entrance of house, a goat in celler = reveal domestic animal uses
  • root cavities of large ornamental trees, vines and fruit trees, carbonised seeds, plants and pollen
33
Q

Human, animal and plant remains: organic artefacts?

A

plants, fabrics, wooden furniture and wooden parts of buildings carbonised found at H.

34
Q

Human, animal and plant remains: skeletons at H on beach and why well preserved?

A

Before discovery of skeletons on beach at H, fewer bodies found than P with 500 corpses.
found in row of chamber built into retaining wall of harbour.
well preserved due to 20m thick layer of moist volcanic material that accumulated over town.

35
Q

Human, animal and plant remains: bones and casts from P?

A

very few intact skeletons as destroyed in early years of excavations, approx. skeletons of both men and women. fewer bones of children

36
Q

Human, animal and plant remains: what can historians deduce from bones and casts in P?

A

sex, age, appearance, height, occupation, status, cause of death.
“Unlike the bones, the casts contains evidence of the whole person” - Estelle Lazar

37
Q

Human, animal and plant remains: plant remains how many identified? what discovered?

A

184

presence of vineyards and olive trees in P, show diff light on its economy and rel/ship between town and country side.

38
Q

Human, animal and plant remains: how much of P was used for cultivation of crops?

A

10%

39
Q

Human, animal and plant remains: what do study of plant remains contribute to?

A

clearer pic of produce and ornamental gardens in p, as well as many of timbers used in doors/furnitures.
Able to recreate some of garden in finer residences and large vineyard near ampitheatre.