Vesuvius and the Eruption
In what year did Mount Vesuvius erupt, destroying Pompeii and Herculaneum?
79 AD
Name one crop commonly produced in the fertile region of Campania.
Grapes, olives or grain.
What term was used for a formerly enslaved person who had been granted freedom?
A freedman or freedwoman.
What were the household gods that protected the family and home called?
The Lares.
Which archaeologist developed the technique of creating plaster casts at Pompeii?
Giuseppe Fiorelli.
Identify the two main phases of the eruption.
The Plinian phase and the Pelean phase
What was a thermopolium?
Examples include wool production, textiles, fishing, fish-sauce production, baking, wine production, pottery, metalworking or hospitality.
Who were the two chief magistrates responsible for governing a Roman town?
The duoviri.
Name one form of public entertainment available in Pompeii.
Gladiatorial contests, theatrical performances, pantomimes, public baths or athletic activities.
What was found inside the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum?
Approximately 1,800 carbonised papyrus scrolls, along with sculptures and other artworks.
What occurred during the Plinian phase of the eruption?
Repeated explosions produced a tall column of gas, pumice and ash, which then fell across the surrounding area.
Identify two industries operating in Pompeii or Herculaneum.
Examples include wool production, textiles, fishing, fish-sauce production, baking, wine production, pottery, metalworking or hospitality.
Identify one piece of evidence showing that women participated in the economic life of Pompeii.
Women owned property and operated businesses such as taverns, inns, workshops and estates. Relevant individuals include Eumachia, Julia Felix and Naevoleia Tyche.
Identify the three main rooms used during the Roman bathing process.
The frigidarium, tepidarium and caldarium.
Why are complete skeletons generally found at Herculaneum while plaster casts are associated with Pompeii?
The heat and burial conditions at Herculaneum preserved skeletal remains, while decomposed bodies at Pompeii left cavities in hardened ash that could be filled with plaster.
Explain why the inhabitants did not recognise the warning signs before the eruption.
They did not know Vesuvius was an active volcano and had no surviving written records of an earlier eruption. Earth tremors were also common in Campania
What evidence demonstrates that textile production was an important Pompeian industry?
(Stephan's Fullery) Fulleries, workshops, equipment, electoral notices connected to fullers and the Building of Eumachia provide evidence of textile production.
Explain how houses communicated the wealth and social status of their owners.
Their size, location, decoration, mosaics, frescoes, gardens and reception spaces displayed wealth. Owners used areas such as the atrium and tablinum to receive clients and conduct business.
What does the Temple of Isis reveal about religion in Pompeii?
It shows the popularity of foreign or mystery cults and demonstrates cultural and trading connections with Egypt and the wider Mediterranean world.
Explain one way in which early excavations damaged the sites.
Excavators tunnelled through buildings, removed attractive objects without recording their contexts, distributed finds to wealthy collectors and sometimes destroyed structures to reach valuable artefacts.
Explain why the eruption affected Pompeii and Herculaneum differently.
Herculaneum was struck by extremely hot pyroclastic surges early in the eruption and buried beneath volcanic material. Pompeii was initially covered by falling pumice and ash before later surges reached the town. This produced different forms of preservation and human remains.
Assess how Pompeii’s location contributed to its economic prosperity.
Its fertile volcanic soil supported grain, olive and wine production, while its position near the Bay of Naples and River Sarno facilitated maritime and regional trade. Roads connected it with surrounding farms and towns, supporting markets and a range of industries.
To what extent does the evidence challenge the idea that Pompeian society was dominated entirely by elite freeborn men?
Elite men held formal political power, but inscriptions, buildings and businesses demonstrate that women, freedpeople and some enslaved people also contributed to economic, religious and social life. Their influence existed despite legal and political restrictions.
Explain how archaeological evidence shows that religion was integrated into both public and private life.
Temples, altars and religious buildings demonstrate public worship, while lararia, household shrines, statuettes and wall paintings reveal worship inside homes and businesses. Political candidates and wealthy patrons also used religious buildings to display status.
Assess the major challenge involved in balancing excavation, conservation and tourism at the sites today.
Excavation provides new evidence but exposes fragile structures and artefacts to weathering. Tourism generates funding and public interest but causes physical pressure and damage. Authorities must therefore limit access, document evidence and prioritise conservation of already exposed areas.