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For centuries the area covered by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 lay undisturbed. The secrets began to be unlocked when, in 1709, while digging a well in the town that now sits atop Herculaneum, an ancient theater was discovered. Looters made off with statues and other treasures from the discovery. Tunnels were dug; statues and scrolls were discovered but digging through the 65 ft. of pumice was difficult. People turned their attention to Pompeii, an easier site to excavate. The modern city of Ercolano grew atop the ruins of ancient Herculaneum.
In the mid 19th century interest in the ancient world peaked; artists painted ruins in their landscapes; architecture took on classical motifs; archaeologists returned to Herculaneum; excavations were executed in a systematic and orderly way. By early in the 20th century they were using new machines to uncover parts of the buried city. But it was nonetheless a difficult task. How many 'modern' buildings could be torn down to get to the ruins? How does one say 'Excuse me but may I dig in your basement?' Slowly progress was made and we became more knowledgable of life in 79.
In nearby Boscoreale, several villas were unearthed between 1887-1907. The Louvre Museum (Paris, France) contains much of the silver found there. The frescoes can be found in the National Archaeology Museum of Naples (Italy) and in this country at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
It was in 1982 that the first skeletons were discovered on the former beach of Herculaneum. Up to this point it was thought that the people had had sufficient warning to escape. The National Geographic issue of May 1984 has a wonderful article entitled 'The Dead Do Tell Tales at Vesuvius'. Check your library for it if you would like to see wonderful pictures and descriptions of what was found here. Archaeologists even discovered a boat.
From under Pompeii's city gates, skeletons of 2 adults were excavated, one with a chain wrapped around one leg. He was probably a slave who was attempting to flee from the city. (Slaves were usually not chained. Chains were attached to slaves who were likely to cause problems or had previously tried to escape.)
Sources:
Blue Guide to Southern Italy
Secrets of Vesuvius, Sara C. Bisel
Time Life Books/Madison Press Books, Toronto Ontario, Canada 1990
National Geographic, Vol. 165, No. 5, May 1984 pp. 557-611
http://vulcan.fis.uniroma3.it/vesuvio/79_eruptiontext.html
J.Jahnige, January 2004
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