Amateur archaeologist pompeii

David Hughes. A visit to Pompeii quickly became a key part of this rite of passage. These gentlemen took their experiences home, where they used their wealth and influence to patronize the Neoclassical movement. Since it was first excavated in the s, Pompeii has given us thousands of finds, some of which changed our understanding of ancient Roman culture. While this helped us understand the Romans like never before, the discovery of shockingly explicit frescoes and statues offended the sensibilities of the people of the Enlightenment. They hid many of them away in private collections.

Pompeii was an important part of the Roman Empire, a key city that was struck by molten lava when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A. Although at the time the disaster brought the city to a halt, today Pompeii is a bustling, lively tourist destination teeming with history buffs and amateur archaeologists. Well-over three million people travel to Pompeii each year, anxious to learn all about the vagaries of Mother Nature, and how she inflicted on Pompeii a hot rage that buried the city instantly. It brings in vast sums of money to the Italian government, which in turn ensures that the site remains in good condition, and a prized World Heritage destination. Unfortunately, Pompeii was also a target for a different kind of disaster, one that was entirely man made. It was vulnerable and exposed, and Pompeii had bombs dropped on it by the British and Americans. Now, archaeologists are recommending that Pompeii be carefully scanned for leftover, unexploded bombs — as many as 10, according to some experts — that put the precious historical site in peril.

Newly discovered skeletons from Regio V excavations at Pompeii. In a press release yesterday, the Parco Archeologico di Pompei revealed at least six skeletons were found in the recently excavated "Garden House" where last week's much-discussed October 17 graffito was found etched on the wall in charcoal. Whether or not that graffito is the ancient Roman equivalent of " croatoan " inscribed on a tree in 16th century North Carolina, these new skeletons hold information about human behavior, the Roman family, and the complexity of archaeological sites of this scale.

Then, when he became professor of archaeology at the University of Naples and director of excavations at Pompeii , he pioneered his meticulous method of studying archaeological strata; observation, recording, preservation including building a museum , and reporting were its fundamental features. He was named director of the National Museum, Naples , and director general of Italian antiquities and fine arts — Giuseppe Fiorelli. Info Print Cite. Submit Feedback.