Changing Interpretations: New Tech & Research
Name 3 new technologies used at Pompeii & Herculaneum
CAT scans, portable digital x-ray machines, DNA analysis, GIS + laser scanning to create 3D models, virtual-reality based eye tracking, isotopic analysis/analysis of amino acids in bones to determine diet, AI robotics, AI translation
Difference between conservation & reconstruction
Conservation: Protecting & preserving artefacts & sites in current state
Reconstruction: Repairing, replacing or rebuilding structures or artefacts using non-original materials to make it appear as it originally did or to recreate it
Superintendent Pietro Giovanni Guzzo 1990s
Creator of plaster casts of human remains
Fiorelli
The cap on daily tourist numbers from 2024 onwards at Pompeii
20,000
What were Elena Pilli's 2024 DNA findings from the 'Two Maidens' plaster casts in House of the Golden Bracelet?
Bracelet-wearing individual was male, had black hair & dark skin. Genetic clues that the other adult also male.
No evidence he was related to the two infants – both of whom were boys.
Data suggests the ancestors of 3 victims had origins in different eastern Mediterranean or north African populations.
Prof Andrew Wallace-Haddrill suggests dark hair & skin = slave from Africa
Define Trattegio technique + give an example of where it was used
Faint hatched lines to restore paintings while showing reproduced sections - e.g. Schola Armaturarum or House of the Gladiators, Pompeii, 2019
9 projects over 9000m2. Largest since 1950s
House where 'family of 4' was found
House of the Golden Bracelet
3 advantages of tourism at P&H
1. Economic benefits (revenue for maintenance & repairs) & income for local economy (tour guides, hospitality)
2. Cultural & educational impact: global appreciation for archaeology/history
3. Preservation & conservation (revenue from tourism & awareness used for international fundraising - e.g. Friends of Herculaneum Cambridge, Packard Humanities Institute)
4. Community development: better infrastructure, amenities & services for locals
Identify 1 changing interpretations of human remains from the Pompeii Cast Project (Estelle Lazer) and the tech used to discover this.
2015 - portable digital Xray scans & CT scans found some casts had been considerably manipulated. Bones were often removed prior to casting, other elements like metal rods & brackets had been introduced to create romanticised poses.
Define Gabriel Zuchtriegel's "urban regeneration" strategy for managing Pompeii
Broader approach than strictly archaeological and preservation-related, includes an urban & socio-cultural vision with services for the public such as Children Museum, enhanced green spaces & exhibition sites for festivals and performances, archaeological agriculture and sustainability, for people to both visit & use the space
Amount of Pompeii & Herculaneum excavated, respectively
Pompeii: 66hecatres 2/3 excavated; Herc: 20 hecatres, c. 25% excavated
What were Silvia Soncin's 2014 findings from amino acids in 17 skeletons in Herculaneum?
Men 50% more dietary protein from seafood than women. Men higher proportion of protein from cereals than women. Women more likely to have protein from animal products & locally grown fruit & veg. Reflects idea that men more likely to be directly engaged in fishing & maritime activities; and men more privileged positions in society & freed from slavery at an earlier age so greater access to expensive foods like fresh fish
An example of damage caused by a tourist
2. 2024 Kazakh tourist carved his name onto plaster wall of House of the Ceii, Pompeii (had to pay for damage)
3. 2018 US tourist moved mosaic tiles in the House of the Sailor at Pompeii trying to take a good selfie
2.
Tim Thompson's 20202 study of collagen levels (protein for skin & bones) in ribs taken from 152 individuals uncovered in the boathouses in Herculaneum led to what change in the interpretation of how people died?
Originally believed people instantly killed by boiling vapors from pyroclastic surges; study found they more slowly baked and suffocated to death in stone boathouses used as shelter.
Example of Italian contribution to conservation or reconstruction
- Italian Government: From 1997 Italian government increased sites annual budget from $3 million to $9 million annually
- Italian Government: 2024 announced would fund 50% of 100 million euro 28 restoration projects under Zuchtriegel
- Herculaneum Conservation Project: Majority of team of restorers & specialists are Italian (e.g. Paola M. Pesaresi (conservation architect of H), Archaeological Park of Herculaneum (local heritage authority) is main administrative body for the site
In 2024, Greek mythological wall paintings depicting Paris abducting Helen of Troy and Apollo trying to seduce Cassandra were excavated where?
Banqueting Hall in the Black Room found in Region 9 as part of a residential & commercial complex consisting of a grand residence, wholesale bakery & laundry. ARV (Aulus Rustius Verus) initials found throughout on walls & bakery’s millstones.
What does the 'memeification' of human remains refer to?
(Finn, 2021) discusses how social media leads to loss of control over images by archaeologists & unrestricted use/repurposing by the public. E.g. 2018 image revealed decapitated skeleton by archaeologists working on Regio V – thought to be a man caused by a door jamb while fleeing – widely shared with comical captions – “Thwompeii”
Pre-2024 average number of tourists & revenue generated in ticket sales at Pompeii
3,500,000 visitors & average income of over 20 million euros/year
What did Valeria Amoretti's DNA analysis of 14 plaster casts in Pompeii in 2024 reveal about ethnicity & familial relationships? What is 1 limitation of this study?
The demographic of Pompeii was much more diverse than expected. The people had various ancestral backgrounds, including Mediterranean, Levantine and North African Jewish.
DNA tests show that victims aren’t related just because of their physical proximity. New tests show that an adult with a child on his lap has no biological relations, originally thought to be a child and their mother.
Limitations: only 14 plaster casts were examined, & only 5 contained bones in them; unclear what their social & economic status was & how generalisable the findings are
Name 2 international groups who fund conservation projects in P&H & what they funded + cost
1. Packard Humanities Institute - Herculaneum Conservation Project (2001-2014) 20 million euros - 80% of unsafe roofing repaired including House of the Gem, 990m of ancient drainage reconstructed, created site plan over 41000m2 and register of over 2000 rooms
2. European Union - 155 million euros for House of the Vettii restoration Pompeii 2023, 105 million euros for Great Pompeii Project
In 2024, archaeologists in Pompeii uncovered the 'blue room' in Insula 10 area of Regio IX. What did they interpret it as & why?
A sacrarium - a space dedicated to religious rituals and the preservation of sacred objects. Because:
1. Particular colour blue very expensive & had to be imported, e.g. from Egypt
2. Niches in walls - believed to be for sacred statues
3. Frescoes depict female figures representing the four seasons and agriculture.
4. Contained amphorae, jugs & lamps
What was Estelle Lazer referring to when she described it as like being "immersed in a classic B grade movie"?
Sarno Baths in Pompeii filled with disarticulated bones & skeletons (human & animal) that had been piled there from excavations. Bones had also been used as nests for birds, rats & snakes
1. 2024: Zuchtriegel 20,000 daily cap on tourism: + reduces damage from foot traffic & overcrowding & potential vandalism; - reduces tourism revenue
2. Designated pathways @P&H: channel foot traffic along specific paths; + minimizes damage to delicate structures, reduces the site’s environmental impact; - may not stop vandals or tourists trying to take selfies
3. 2016: Smart@Pompeii video management system (Italian Ministry Cultural Heritage, National Research Council): IP network video cameras & mini-drones with with thermal & movement sensors & speakers to identify intruders, vandals, changes in air quality, earthquakes, & erosion damage. +: identify potential threats to conservation for early intervention, deter vandals & make accountable, reduce security staff; - expensive
4. Virtual Adrastia at Pompeii: Virtual and augmented reality tours of Pompeii controlled by Pompeii Archaeological Park; +: reduce congestion at site, reduce damage, allow visitors to see in detail; -: cost, may participate through other providers and reduce revenue from ticket sales