THE HISTORY OF THE EXCAVATIONS

1. THE HISTORY OF THEEXCAVATIONS HERCULANEUM and POMPEII

2. INTRODUCTION • After the eruption in AD 79 of Vesuvius it remained inactive for many centuries. • Many cities around it were rebuilt, but the ancient city of Pompeii remained buried for hundreds of years. • It simply became known as the “civitas” or “Civita” the settlement….the lost buried city.

3. ISSUES • A new city of Pompeii was built outside the old “Civitas”. Also true of Herculaneum. New Herculaneum Ancient city

4. Treasure Huntersthe first to excavate • People feared the sites as if a spell had been cast . Other cities were rebuilt such as Stabiae and Resina, but Pompeii and Herculaneum were not. • Looters and treasure hunters carried off what they could from the surface. • 1600 years passed before the first ruins were properly uncovered, and another 150 years before it was actually declared that the city had been rediscovered

5. First discovery of Herculaneum • The ruins of Herculaneum were first discovered in 1594, but it was not until 1709 that the first real excavations of the area were started. • A worker constructing a well discovered pieces of marble which were presented to the Austrian Prince d’Elboeuf. • The prince who owned a villa in the area was so impressed by the beauty of the objects that for the next five years that he encouraged “tunnelling in the area and the removal of marble columns and statues, with which he decorated his villa”.

6. Europe in 1600 • Some parts of Nth Italy were under • Austrian domination in the 1600

7. Excavations under the sponsorship of the Austrian monarchy. • These excavations were simply treasure hunts. Etrienne explains that little care was taken and “great holes were smashed in walls covered with paintings” • These digs were destructive and they were only interested in what they considered artistic work. It was also dangerous for the workers who were exposed to dangerous gases.

8. Italy in 1748 • In the 18th Century the • the Italian peninsula • was a conglomeration • of separate states and • Principalities. • The southern part of the • peninsula was in the hands • of the Spanish.

9. Under the Spanish • In the late 1730s the excavations were reopened by King Charles III of Spain. • He appointed Rocco Gioacchino de Alcubierre who was an engineer to supply the Spanish court with statues and precious objects. Charles III of Spain

10. What were these royals interested in • Wealth and unusual object for personal possessions. • They were not into the preservation and conservation of history and the site.

11. Charles cont’d • King Charles started to display the materials and objects discovered at Herculaneum. • He also banned the selling of these and attempted to put some control over archaeological heritage to prevent the destruction and exploitation of the site.

12. Charles even attempted to record and preserve what was found. • In 1750 the Great villa(of the Papyri was detected in Herculaneum. • The king hired Karl Weber to chart the villa. • In the villa Weber found 1,800 carbonized papyrus some of which have been destroyed in an attempt to open and read then

13. Discovery of an inscription • The Bourbons “robbed the city of the most interesting works of art”, which eventually were housed in the National Museum of Naples. Museo Archeologico Nazionale Archaeological Museum) – Houses many of the finds from both Pompeii and Herculaneum.

14. Herculaneum in the 19th Century • In 1865 the scientific excavation of Herculaneum was began by the king of the modern unified country of Italy. • King Victor- Emmanuel II who provide 30,000 lire to Giuseppe Fiorelli. • Fiorelli is vital to the excavations of both Pompeii and Herculaneum.

15. Fiorelli’s work was productive at first but it was soon hindered by the fact that further excavations could cause problems for modern homes and apartments nearby. • As a result of this Herculaneum fell out of the limelight in the 19th Century.

16. In the early 20th Century financial assistance was offered to the Italian authorities to recommence excavations in Herculaneum. • Brennan writes that “Italian sensitivity to what was seen as foreign interference caused the plans to be abandoned.”

17. Herculaneum in the 20th Century • In 1927 under the leadership of the Fascist dictator Mussolini work resumed in Herculaneum. • Mussolini’s fascination with Rome’s glorious past saw increased funds. • Modern machinery made the work easier and faster. • Between 1927-1939 a large portion of the ancient city was excavated. • After WW2 the work on the site stopped

18. In the 1980s work was recommenced on the seafront area. • Skeletons were also found which sparked world interest. • In 1982 a boat was found which had probably capsized as people were escaping. • There has been renewed interest in Herculaneum and increased tourism.

19. Herculaneum Boathouse

20. The uncovered site of Herculaneum as it is today

21. EXCAVATION OF POMPEII Domenico Fontana while constructing an aqueduct in the 16th Century came across the ancient remains of a city. In 1689 an inscription was found confirming it was Pompeii.

22. Early excavations • In 1748 the first excavation site was opened in Pompeii under the direction of de Alcubierre • In 1750sde Alcubierre abandoned Pompeii and turned his attention to Herculaneum. It was not until 1754 that excavations at Pompeii were renewed

23. Wincklemann’s Opinion Alcubierre knew as much about antiquity as “the moon knows about lobsters” Who was de Alcubierre ? He also believed that work on the sites was slow… “At this rate our great grandchildren will still have plenty of work to do”

24. Proposals of Karl Weber • Karl Weber was the first to propose that “rather than carrying out selective and uncoordinated digs, they should uncover the site systematically, section by section”.

25. 18th Century ~ Excavations continued in both Pompeii and Herculaneum • In the mid 18th Century excavations around Pompeii continued under the direction of a Spanish archaeologist Francesco la Vega. • New sites were uncovered such as the tavern, “Tomb of Istacidii”, the Odeon (small theatre) and the Temple of Isis.

26. Temple of Isis William Hamilton

27. These discoveries encouraged learned Europeans to travel to Pompeii. People such as Wedgwood, Goethe and the French novelist Gautier and artist Jacob Philipp Hackert. Early excavations sparked interest among Europeans. A Wedgwood teapot influenced by Pompeii

28. Philipp Hackert Like many painters of his generation he visited Italy to look at monuments and art. This painting shows the stage of excavation in Pompeii in 1799 under La Vega

29. The Villa of Diomedes • This was discovered in 1771-72. • Bodies were discovered in an underground passage • Encouraged the writing of a famous novel in 1852 “Arria Marcella” by Theophile Gautier

30. Haphazard and destructive excavations • The early excavations were extremely poor “far from exemplary”. • Johann Joachim Winckelmann a German archaeologist believed that the early excavations left a lot to be desired...

31. The late 18th and early 19th Century • In this period the Neapolitan Kings and especially and especially Queen Carolyn who was the daughter of the famous Austrian ruler Maria Theresa took an interest in the excavation

32. Joachim Murat • 1806-32 Joachim Murat and Queen Caroline continued the interest and the excavations. • In the early 19th Century further hurried excavations were carried out in Pompeii. This lead to the uncovering of The Forum of Pompeii which had items taken. • The Forum Project

33. The Forum of Pompeii The main public buildings of Pompeii were located in the Forum.

34. Mazois The Ruins of Pompeii • Francois Mazois author of the Ruins of Pompeii was appointed by Murat to direct work on the improvement of the city. • He commenced restoration Images From His book

35. The Unification of Italy brought a more structured and sophisticated phase of excavation • With the defeat of the Bourbons and the unification of Italy under King Victor- Emmanuel 11, Giuseppe Fiorelli was placed in charge of the excavations at Pompeii. Giuseppe Fiorelli

36. Giuseppe Fiorelli • Giuseppe Fiorelli is accredited as being responsible for an ‘exceptional level’ of preservation compared to other archaeologists who have been associated with the site of Pompeii. He carried out his work in the 1860s. • Fiorelli’s work has been described “as systematic and intelligent excavation”. He established a scientific approach to archaeology, keeping written records and working methodologically.

37. He was responsible for obtaining impressions of humans. • This was done by pouring plaster of Paris into spaces left by the organic substances which decomposed after the volcanic ash had solidified. • As a result of this process it was possible to preserve the exact forms of the bodies of men, women, children and animals and even plants.

38. Fiorelli ‘s casts of human bodies

39. Fiorelli’s findings • He also identified the Lupanar (brothel), bakery and the House of Jucundas Caecilius House of Caecilius brothel bakery

40. After Fiorelli • After Fiorelli, August Mau, Michele Ruggerio, Vittorio Spinazzola, Guilio de Petra, Ettore Pias and Antonio Sogliano, Amedeo Maiuri, Fausto Zevi and Pietro Giovanni Guzzo / Andrew WallaceHadrill worked on the site of Pompeii.

41. 20th Century Pompeian Excavations • Since 1900 the work of restoration and preservation reached a higher standard under Vittorio Spinazzola. • He was interested in reconstructing streetscapes and the façade of buildings. Rather than continuing with Fiorelli’s method of working on blocks.

42. Amedeo Maiuri • 1924 saw the appointment of Amedeo Maiuri. • He worked on the site for 37 years. • During this time he directed work that uncovered vital sites such as amphitheatre, Palaestrae. He wasn’t only interested in the eruption but in the earlier period including the pre-Roman era.

43. Sources • This power point is based on the works of-; • Brian Brennan and Estelle Laser. Pompeii and Herculaneum – Interpreting the Past • Robert Etienne. Pompeii- The Day the City Died • We MUST read Bradley Chapter 2 and 11together with the article by Granger.