Excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum Mark the First Systematic Study in Archeology
Overview
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in August of A.D. 79, it destroyed Herculaneum and Pompeii, two lively, bustling Roman cities. The eruption also had the effect of perfectly preserving that moment of tragedy, the daily routines of life in classical Italy, and the structure and art of those ancient cities. Directed by King Charles III of Naples, the initial excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the eighteenth century were the first large-scale archaeological projects in history. The revolutionary methods used during the excavation unearthed enormous historical, architectural, and artistic treasures and formed the basis of the meticulous approach used in today's archaeological techniques.
Background
The volcanic mountain of Vesuvius rises 4,190 feet (1,277 m) above a fertile valley near the Bay of Naples, once home to a bustling seaport of the first-century Roman Empire. The original city of Pompeii was 128 feet (39 m) above sea level, sitting on a prehistoric lava flow about 4.97 miles (8 km) from Mount Vesuvius. Herculaneum, another village in the region, was less than 4.35 miles (7 km) from the base of the volcano. In August of A.D 79. Vesuvius belched out a great plume of smoke, spewing pumice, black ash, stones, and deadly gases from its crater.
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