Research On Archaeological Site-Pompeii

Research on Archaeological Site-Pompeii

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Research on Archaeological Site-Pompeii

Introduction

Pompeii was a Roman city which comprised of a 20,000 population. The main reason why the city of Pompeii is so famous is its history. The city got demolished completely because of the Mount Vesuvius volcanic eruption. Amid the Roman Empire, the city of Pompeii was quite prosperous, however, it did not have the fame that it has today. According to archeologists, the city of Pompeii is the longest constantly dug site to this date in the world. The fact that Pompeii was excavated so much has aided in immortalizing the Roman life but this datum has also demolished the remains of the city that were preserved by the volcanic ash of Mount Vesuvius. The city of Pompeii helps look into the Roman Empire and the life that they led, but the whole site is in constant danger. This paper will explore in-depth the city of Pompeii and its history.

Discussion

Overview

On the 24th of August, back in the 79 AD, a volcanic eruption began that led to the destruction of Pompeii. The people of Pompeii, or more commonly known as Pompeian were not threatened by the eruption at all, to the point they did not feel the need to evacuate the city. After the eruption, the city was left covered in pumice and volcanic ash, which buried the inhabitants of the city. As time passed, the city was forgotten, and as Pompeii faded from the maps, its prosperity also washed out. Pompeii was not rediscovered until the nineteenth century (Senatore, 2018). An archeologist by the name of Giuseppe Fiorelli started excavating the location of the lost and forgotten city. Presently, the site is in great danger due to lack of preservation. This is an issue that needs to addressed as soon as possible.

Geography

The city of Pompeii is located on the southern side of Italy, near the Bay of Naples side. The region mainly remains warm and humid but the fresh breeze makes it bearable. This weather is the epitome of the Mediterranean climate. For over a millennia, Pompeii has proven to be a very successful area for cultivation and farming. The soil is quite fertile and is a source of growing grapes, olives and different kinds of grains. Pompeii was mainly founded between the 6th and 7th BC (Clarke, 2015). The city spreads on 170 acres of land. The city of Pompeii was mainly built 25-40m above sea level. This fact is the reason behind the soil being so fertile and rich for cultivation.

History

One of the main reasons why Pompeii is such a spectacular site is the fact that the volcanic ash and lava preserved the city for over a thousand years. However, as mentioned above, due to the archeologist’s discovery and mining of the city, Pompeii now suffers. There is no doubt in the fact that destruction has followed Pompeii through history. In the initial archeological stages when Pompeii was being dug by Fiorelli, the site was looted on a great degree because of low protection (Monteix, 2016). Later, many artifacts were removed by Charles the third so he could extend his home. Amid all this, there were many people who tried to preserve the paintings and walls by coating them with varnish. The lack of preservations first came to hindsight when the Schola Armaturarum distorted in the year 2010.

The fact that Pompeii was getting deteriorated came into the knowledge of UNESCO. There was a generation of proper funds to restore the area. The reason why this issue caught the eye so late was that the areas that were collapsing were away from the tourists. The city is spread on many acres and it is almost impossible for tourists to visit every single site. That is why there was no acknowledgment of the deteriorating of the city sooner. Further, the archeologists did a lot of damage to the site in order to study it. In fact, archeology and destruction go hand in hand. The archeologists who were working on the sites of Pompeii found an indigenous way of finding out about the artifacts and the people who had decayed through the volcanic ash. The decay left behind a hole in the volcanic ash which the archeologists filled with plaster and then the volcanic ash was chipped in order to obtain the plaster. The scientists would obtain the molded plaster to study but the preserved volcanic cast would be lost for good. Pompeii is another example of how “answers can cause destruction.”

Threats

A threat that is being faced by Pompeii and its surrounding area even today is another volcanic eruption. There are many scientists who believe the fact that Mount Vesuvius can erupt again and this time, the followed destruction can surpass the catastrophe of 79 AD. This fact is another reason why Pompeii should be preserved and restored (Bulwer- Lytton, 2019). The city needs to be under constant attention. People are still unaware of the impact that Pompeii can have on this society.

Roman Lifestyle

There is one thing that the city of Pompeii offers that no other site can give. Pompeii gives an in-depth look into the lifestyle of the Roman Empire. Many archeologists and scientists claim that before Pompeii, no one knew how the Romans lived. The people of Pompeii might have died in the state of panic but that does not take away the fact that the things they used were found where they left them. Pompeii helped look into how the rich of the civilization lived and what the medical procedures were like. In fact, the city provided the world with the rawest and authentic knowledge about Pompeii.

Conclusion

It is ironic that the volcanic eruption that destroyed Pompeii also became the reason for the city's immortality. The city is one of the primary reasons the world knows about the Roman lifestyle today. Through the archeological excavations, the city was destroyed a great deal but presently, the scientists are putting in a great effort in order to restore and preserve Pompeii.

References

Bulwer-Lytton, E. (2019). The Last Days of Pompeii. BookRix.

Clarke, J. R. (2015). Pompeii. The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality, 861-1042.

Monteix, N. (2016). Exploiting excavation archives: Herculaneum from 1927 to 1961 as a case-study. Journal of Roman Archaeology, 29, 423-437.

Senatore, M. R. (2018). Pompeii on 79 AD: the natural landscape: a new approach for visiting an archaeological site. Art Human Open Acc J, 2(2), 117-119.