Excavations
Herculaneum
Herculaneum was in fact the first of the two town to be discovered. Herculaneum was found in 1711 by a Austrian general called Prince d'Elboeu. Herculaneum was a harder site to excavate than Pompeii as it had been hidden under 20 meters of material such as rock and ash rather than the 4 meters of Material that covered Pompeii. It was also difficult to excavate as another town had been built over top and the people who owned the land were reluctant to sell there property so the excavation was forced to stop.
In 1738 king Charles Bourbon of Naples started up the excavation once again as inscriptions were found that identified the town as Herculaneum.
A military engineer called Rocco Gioacchino de Alcubierre began excavating the site but had little archaeological experience so the site was treated poorly and was damaged. Later in 1750 a Swiss architect called Karl Weber took charge and set up with the help of Francesco La Vega, an archaeologist. their control over the excavation ended in 1764. During 1750 to 1764 a villa was discovered the villa held many artifacts which are now in the Archaeological Museum in Naples. In 1780 Excavation moved to Pompeii.
In 1927 Excavation of Herculaneum began again this time by an archaeologist, Amedeo Maiuri with the approval of King Victor Emmanuel the third. maiuris tried to rebuild Herculaneum to its original state in 79 AD. From 1927 to 1929 Maiuri excavated the whole section of Insula 3 which included the main Baths and many other buildings, his work was forced to stop because of world war 2 work on the site reopened in 1958.
In 1975 remains of Skeletons were discovered in a boat house overlooking what once would of been the seashore. Many scientists believe that these people were hit be incredibly hot gasses and died instantly. these people dies differently to the People at Pompeii as they were closer to Mt Vesuvius and the hot gasses had cooled but the time they reached Pompeii.
Pompeii
Pompeii was discovered when workmen digging a canal uncovered decorated walls in a site near Pompeii in 1748. Rocco Gioacchino de Alcubierre started to excavate the area which he believed to be the town of Stabiae which was actually later confirmed as Pompeii in 1763.
Over the next 20 years many artifacts and buildings were discovered.
From 1808 to 1815 Francois Mazouis controlled a large excavation of up to 1500 people under the supervision of the French king of Naples. The team discovered many houses and other buildings such as the house of the Faun in 1932. Pompeii was open to the public and became a popular place to visit.
During the first 100 years of uncovering Herculaneum and Pompeii many people came to the sites with the intention of stealing paintings, mosaics, vases and other such items and many of the succeeded it taking them away. This was known as the treasure hunting period of the excavation. Many items were lost during this period.
In 1860 a man called Giuseppe Fiorlli Supervised the excavation of Pompeii. Giuseppe discovered human and animal remains in the earth which he then fulled with plaster which hardened around the skeletons and then were removed. As the ash that had covered the Ancient people was so fine it left inscriptions of their clothing and features.
Recognition of limitation of Sources:
As the eruption of Mt Vesuvius was in 79 AD much information that was written and recorded at that time has been lost and damaged. As layers of hot ash and rock covered both Herculaneum and Pompeii they were preserved form the earths elements. This has given us unique but also limited information to accurate Ancient life in Rome. The information is limited as much was stolen and damaged during the first stage of excavations when many people took items out of the site and they were never recorded or properly looked at.
Herculaneum was in fact the first of the two town to be discovered. Herculaneum was found in 1711 by a Austrian general called Prince d'Elboeu. Herculaneum was a harder site to excavate than Pompeii as it had been hidden under 20 meters of material such as rock and ash rather than the 4 meters of Material that covered Pompeii. It was also difficult to excavate as another town had been built over top and the people who owned the land were reluctant to sell there property so the excavation was forced to stop.
In 1738 king Charles Bourbon of Naples started up the excavation once again as inscriptions were found that identified the town as Herculaneum.
A military engineer called Rocco Gioacchino de Alcubierre began excavating the site but had little archaeological experience so the site was treated poorly and was damaged. Later in 1750 a Swiss architect called Karl Weber took charge and set up with the help of Francesco La Vega, an archaeologist. their control over the excavation ended in 1764. During 1750 to 1764 a villa was discovered the villa held many artifacts which are now in the Archaeological Museum in Naples. In 1780 Excavation moved to Pompeii.
In 1927 Excavation of Herculaneum began again this time by an archaeologist, Amedeo Maiuri with the approval of King Victor Emmanuel the third. maiuris tried to rebuild Herculaneum to its original state in 79 AD. From 1927 to 1929 Maiuri excavated the whole section of Insula 3 which included the main Baths and many other buildings, his work was forced to stop because of world war 2 work on the site reopened in 1958.
In 1975 remains of Skeletons were discovered in a boat house overlooking what once would of been the seashore. Many scientists believe that these people were hit be incredibly hot gasses and died instantly. these people dies differently to the People at Pompeii as they were closer to Mt Vesuvius and the hot gasses had cooled but the time they reached Pompeii.
Pompeii
Pompeii was discovered when workmen digging a canal uncovered decorated walls in a site near Pompeii in 1748. Rocco Gioacchino de Alcubierre started to excavate the area which he believed to be the town of Stabiae which was actually later confirmed as Pompeii in 1763.
Over the next 20 years many artifacts and buildings were discovered.
From 1808 to 1815 Francois Mazouis controlled a large excavation of up to 1500 people under the supervision of the French king of Naples. The team discovered many houses and other buildings such as the house of the Faun in 1932. Pompeii was open to the public and became a popular place to visit.
During the first 100 years of uncovering Herculaneum and Pompeii many people came to the sites with the intention of stealing paintings, mosaics, vases and other such items and many of the succeeded it taking them away. This was known as the treasure hunting period of the excavation. Many items were lost during this period.
In 1860 a man called Giuseppe Fiorlli Supervised the excavation of Pompeii. Giuseppe discovered human and animal remains in the earth which he then fulled with plaster which hardened around the skeletons and then were removed. As the ash that had covered the Ancient people was so fine it left inscriptions of their clothing and features.
Recognition of limitation of Sources:
As the eruption of Mt Vesuvius was in 79 AD much information that was written and recorded at that time has been lost and damaged. As layers of hot ash and rock covered both Herculaneum and Pompeii they were preserved form the earths elements. This has given us unique but also limited information to accurate Ancient life in Rome. The information is limited as much was stolen and damaged during the first stage of excavations when many people took items out of the site and they were never recorded or properly looked at.