Survey Flashcards
Natural features / setting
Located in Campania which Pliny (E): “a climate so mild”.
-> prosperous agricultural area and vacation area (Herculaneum)
Enviromental features:
* Bay of Naples: accessibility to the MED
* River Sarno: fishing industry
-> macelumn fish bones and fishing Mosaic in the house of the Faun.
* MT Vesuvius Fertile / volcanic soil: Highly prosperous agricultural area Bacchus fresco.
Eruption on Pompeii:
August 24th 79AD
Estimated population of 20,000.
Plinian phase - Pliny (Y) described it as an umbrella cloud - resulted in 5m of airborne debris (ash and rock).
-> Approx 1,000 people died: 90% of them died due to being crushed or asphyxiated by the Plinian phase.
The sixth pyroclastic phase has the largest impact leading to 90% of the population to escape.
Although Pliny (Y), give the primary date of August 24th 79AD, his date has been disbuted with charcoal inscriptions giving a date of 23th November 79AD + the prevelence of summer fruits.
Eruption on Herculaneum
August 24th 79AD
Approx population of 5,000.
500 people died instantly in the first Pyroclastic phase:
-> due to the 400°C gas which would cause instant death due to thermal shock on those around 10 metres away.
Slow moving Pyrcolastic flows (a mixture of molten martierial and mud) proberably killed the 300 found in the Boat sheds.
-> Buried the town under 25m of pyroclastic flow therefore prolonged its discovery.
-> Extension of the coast line by 500 metres.
-> Allowed majoirty of the populace to escape the eruption.
Early discoveries: 18th century
1709: Herculaneum was resiscovered through vertical tunnels in which began excavation of its theatre.
-> 1716: Austrian prince of Elbeuf plundered the threater.
1750 - 63: Villa of the Papyri was discovered by architect Karl Weber who organised the first excavation of Herculaneum, with him finding statues in reference to Pompeii.
1763: discovery of Pompeii, tunnels at Herculeaum closed due to a new focus towards the excavation of Pompeii.
Early discoveries: 19th century
1818 - 19: Antonio Bonnici disocvered Pompeiian forum, gladiator barracks, forum baths and the House of the Faun.
1860-75: Giuseppe Fiorelli undertook systematic apporach to excavation through a ‘top down’ method, therefore grouping artifcats in there stratas. ASK TEACHER ABOUT THE METHODS
-> Organised Pompeii into nine regios which each contained 22 insulaes, which provided a numbering system still used in the modern day.
-> Developed over 100 plaster casts such as the ‘beggar man’which Estella Lazar distributed to be artistically modified.
1873 - 1909: August Mau categoried Pomepeian wall painting into four main styles:
1. Structural - woodern beams with marble
2. Architectural - three deminsional and a depiction of a scene.
3. Ornamental - Very plain and symmetirical.
4. Intricate - Large scale narrative paintings.
Early discoveries: 20th century
Victor Spinazzola (Pompeii 1910-1923):
* First to record excavations using photography.
* Excavated the Via dell’Abbondanza (street of abudence) including the house of the gladiator and other buildings.
-> revealed commericial life of Pompeii through the reconstruction of shop fronts.
Fausto Zevi: 1977-81
* Stopped all excavations.
-> Shifting focus towards restoriation and conservation.
* Initiated complete inventory of all building and establishment of extensive photographic archieve/database.
-> dating of previous excavations.
Pietro Giovanni Guzzo: (1995-2009)
* Got private investment to further research and resotration of existing excavations.
-> However limited on digs with a (‘deeper not further’) approach.
* Pompeii was placed on UNESCO world heritage list in 1997.
* 2008 - Guzzo annouced a moratorium after Italian antiquary authorities declared a ‘state of emergency’ with it being placed under special administration.
-> Guzzo poor site management “The worst example of archaeological conservation in a non-war-torn country”.
Early discoveries: 21th century
need more info
Guidobaldi implementation of the Herculean Conservation Project -> to conserve the site & city above
Zuchtriegel, to reduce costs, took an eco-friendly approach - use of sheep to maintain overgrown areas
Representations of Pomepii and Herulaneum
Pompeii (2014) is a 3D big-budget ‘historical disaster romance’ film with historical inaccuricaies such as giant fireballs destroying the city of Pompeii.
-> Resutling in an inaccurate description of the 24th of August 79AD eruption.
