The most famous archaeological site in the world is not hard to name. If there has ever been a site as well preserved, as evocative, as memorable as that of Pompeii, the luxurious resort for the Roman Empire, buried under the ash and lava erupted by Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 AD.
The Thriving City of Pompeii
At the time of its destruction, Pompeii was a thriving commercial port at the mouth of the Sarno River in southwestern Italy. While the first occupations at Pompeii date to the 6th century BC, the city grew slowly over the centuries, blossoming with the Roman occupation beginning in 81 BC. Pompeii's known buildings--and there are many that were preserved under the mud and ashfall--include a Roman basilica, built ca 130-120 BC, and an amphitheater built circa 80 BC. The forum contained several temples; the streets included hotels and eating places and gardens within the city walls.
But probably of most fascination to those of us today are the details of the private homes, the eerie negative images of people caught in the eruption, the utter humanness of the tragedy seen at Pompeii.
Pompeii's Archaeological Excavations
Of interest to archaeologists is the fact that Pompeii was among the earliest of archaeological excavations, tunneled into by the Bourbon rulers of Naples and Palermo first beginning 1738. Full scale excavations were begun at Pompeii in 1748. Archaeologists associated with Pompeii and Herculaneum include Karl Weber, Johann-Joachim Wincklemann, and Guiseppe Fiorelli; a team was sent there by the Emperor Napoleon as well. Excavations today are being conducted in the streets of Pompeii by the University of Bradford. One of the benefits of such a long excavation is a wealth of images you can find on the Internet.
Current research at Pompeii has been undertaken by the Anglo-American Project in Pompeii, led by Rick Jones at the University of Bradford. Field schools have been led at Pompeii by Bradford since 1995.
Sources and Further Information
See the Walking Tour of the House of the Faun for further information.
