May 10, 2023
The Day the Volcano Blew its Top
That Fateful Moment
Today’s focus was on learning about the life of the citizens of this region based on the excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum, both of which are a stone’s throw from Naples.
Following breakfast in our room, we headed out on foot to the National Archaeology Museum, a 20-minute walk from the B&B. We are getting much better at finding our way, so we arrived in good time for our scheduled 10 am tickets. Thank goodness I had bought tickets online because without them, we would have had to join the throngs of people waiting outside in the rain.
The collection is enormous and it’s easy to become overwhelmed so once inside, I lined up a guide to show us around the museum who explained that she would show us the most important pieces in 1 1/2 hours. So, off we went!
We plan to visit Herculaneum on the weekend and will decide later if we will visit Pompeii at the end of the trip.
October 17, 79 AD
But, first things first. Vesuvius blew its top in 79 AD. It spewed ash and stones at first (400 degrees) followed by lava (600 degrees). The two sites were covered in meters upon meters of ash.
The effects of ash vs. lava have been significant to our understanding of what life was like at that time. For instance, bodies at 600 degrees in Herculaeum completely vaporized, leaving their skeleton intact. In Pompeii, ash and rock showered over the citizens, encasing them instantly and preserving their forms in the debris. As the bodies decayed, they left their imprints in the ash. When archaeologists discovered this, they realized they could make a plaster cast of the shapes and hence, at Pompeii, you can see the plaster forms of people caught at the time of the eruption.
Another key difference was that wooden objects are still intact at Herculaeum but not Pompeii. Namely, wooden beams and other wooden structures in the buildings. As well, organic things like papyrus scrolls and food survived intact. This is attributed to the lack of oxygen. When the lava covered the site, it sealed it shut. This also made Herculaneum a more difficult site to excavate.
Another interesting feature is that Hurculaneum was under so much weight from the lava that it sank below sea level. Dutch expertise has been employed to keep moisture from the site.
Today, the volcano is highly monitored with Japanese expertise and technology. They estimate they can predict the next eruption about two weeks in advance. Interestingly, the local population is quite nonchalant and accepting. Our guide said she knows many who have never even been to the Pompeii site even though they have lived at the base of Vesuvius their whole life.
Scale Model of Pompeii
There are two scale models of Pompeii on the third floor of the museum. This one was completed in 1965 and it is exact, right down to the frescoes on the walls.
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Excavations at Pompeii began in 1748. They have not completely uncovered the city of Pompeii yet and probably never will since they have already so much understanding and materials to analyze. In any case, some of the walled city is still buried and there is believed to be a large settlement outside the perimeter walls. I didn’t ask but it's likely they have already built on top of these areas.
Marble sculptures
We were surprised to learn that most of the sculptures were copies of Greek sculptures that no longer exist. Because of this, most are unsigned as the sculptors were not considered as artists, but rather artisans. The perfection and anatomic precision in this sculpture of Hercules is mind boggling.
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Sarcophagi
The sarcophagi were Greek origin, not from Pompeii, where they cremated the dead.
Bronze Sculptures
Bronze sculptures were made with the lost wax method. They were painted, as were the marble sculptures. Very little color remains however.
Mosaics
Mosaics were made of either painted glass or natural marble. Most of these were panels displayed on walls. Some of the squares in these mosaics are smaller than 1/4”. Thousands of tiny marble blocks went into these pieces.
Frescoes
Frecoes were painted on the plaster surface of walls and ceilings while the plaster was wet. Those on display here have been removed ever so carefully from the walls various homes in Herculaneum. They are about 3” thick plaster slabs. This is a difficult archaeological technique and is no longer done.
A Greek urn, finely painted in phenomenal detail.
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Figurines of gods such as these were used for home decoration. They played a big role in people’s lives and beliefs.
Our tour lasted for 2 hours. When we left the museum, the crowds were noticeably larger and it is was still raining. Needless to say, this is unusual weather for Naples at this time of year.
We made our way back to the B&B where David assembled my bike and I had another catnap to catch up on some lost sleep.
Dinner tonight was at a restaurant specializing in Ragu. Delicious and hearty.
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Good luck with the weather! It’s certainly turning into an unusual spring.
11 months ago
11 months ago
Hope David is enjoying putting the bikes together again and seeing all his hours of work and talent building them come together in Italy.
11 months ago
11 months ago