Ancient History of Pompeii and Herculaneum
PLANS AND STREETSCAPES OF POMPEII AND HERCULANEUM
POMPEII:
- 66 hectares in area. Only two-thirds of the site of Pompeii has been excavated.
- Walls – 3.2 km of wall built from tufa. Some sections of the wall at the east of the town had been dismantled
- Watch towers – some towers still remain in the wall, on the north side of Pompeii
- Stepping stones were placed across streets to allow people to cross the street without getting wet or muddy (or worse).
- Use of land: Temples, theatres, amphitheatre, palaestra, baths, houses, shops, workshops, brothels, cultivated areas, villas.
HERCULANEUM:
- Smaller area than Pompeii - possibly 12 hectares.
- Insulae, streets, Underground drainage system, baths, street fountains, forum, theatre, Villa of Papyri
- Situated on a cliff overlooking the sea. Boatsheds have been found on the ancient beach.
- Mixture of residential and commercial uses
THE NATURE OF SOURCES AND EVIDENCE
THE RANGE OF AVAILABLE SOURCES, BOTH WRITTEN AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL , INCLUDING ANCIENT WRITERS, OFFICIAL INSCRIPTIONS, GRAFFITI, WALL PAINTINGS, STATUES, MOSAICS, HUMAN AND ANIMAL REMAINS
WRITTEN:
- Ancient writers
- Official inscriptions
- Public notices
- Graffiti
ARCHAEOLOGICAL:
- Buildings: houses, shops, public buildings for entertainment, religion, politics
- Walls, gates, towers, streets
- Tombs
- Wall paintings
- Statues
- Mosaics
- Other household objects
- Human and animal remains
THE LIMITATIONS, RELIABILITY AND EVALUATION OF SOURCES
"Despite the extraordinary range of archaeological sources that has come to light at both Pompeii and Herculaneum, there are some significant 'gaps' in the evidence."
ARCHITECTURE:
- Much evidence has disappeared forever. Problems: reporting was patchy; no excavation reports for some buildings; some reports are totally unpublished; subjective judgements and conjecture. Many artefacts and paintings were looted or removed without record of context. Literary evidence
POMPEII:
- 66 hectares in area. Only two-thirds of the site of Pompeii has been excavated.
- Walls – 3.2 km of wall built from tufa. Some sections of the wall at the east of the town had been dismantled
- Watch towers – some towers still remain in the wall, on the north side of Pompeii
- Stepping stones were placed across streets to allow people to cross the street without getting wet or muddy (or worse).
- Use of land: Temples, theatres, amphitheatre, palaestra, baths, houses, shops, workshops, brothels, cultivated areas, villas.
HERCULANEUM:
- Smaller area than Pompeii - possibly 12 hectares.
- Insulae, streets, Underground drainage system, baths, street fountains, forum, theatre, Villa of Papyri
- Situated on a cliff overlooking the sea. Boatsheds have been found on the ancient beach.
- Mixture of residential and commercial uses
THE NATURE OF SOURCES AND EVIDENCE
THE RANGE OF AVAILABLE SOURCES, BOTH WRITTEN AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL , INCLUDING ANCIENT WRITERS, OFFICIAL INSCRIPTIONS, GRAFFITI, WALL PAINTINGS, STATUES, MOSAICS, HUMAN AND ANIMAL REMAINS
WRITTEN:
- Ancient writers
- Official inscriptions
- Public notices
- Graffiti
ARCHAEOLOGICAL:
- Buildings: houses, shops, public buildings for entertainment, religion, politics
- Walls, gates, towers, streets
- Tombs
- Wall paintings
- Statues
- Mosaics
- Other household objects
- Human and animal remains
THE LIMITATIONS, RELIABILITY AND EVALUATION OF SOURCES
"Despite the extraordinary range of archaeological sources that has come to light at both Pompeii and Herculaneum, there are some significant 'gaps' in the evidence."
ARCHITECTURE:
- Much evidence has disappeared forever. Problems: reporting was patchy; no excavation reports for some buildings; some reports are totally unpublished; subjective judgements and conjecture. Many artefacts and paintings were looted or removed without record of context. Literary evidence