History. See the future. It’s in the past.

Like Pompeii, the small town of Herculaneum was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in August AD 79. The town, with its shops, temples and houses was sealed under 20 metres of volcanic sludge, until archaeologists brought about half of the town to light. In the 1980s the skeletal remains of some 300 people were discovered on the beach and in the boat chambers where they had huddled.

Join us for a day of exploration, as we examine how archaeologists using different methods have shed light on how the people of this small town lived, worked and died. We will examine houses and public buildings, the evidence for commercial and social life. With the aid of a dossier of written sources: inscriptions, graffiti and painted notices that have survived the destruction, we will learn about life in the town.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• interpret the literary and archaeological evidence for the destruction of the town in CE 79
• evaluate the contributions of different archaeologists and their methods
• demonstrate knowledge of the key architectural features of houses and villas at or near Herculaneum, and an appreciation of the streetscape
• demonstrate an awareness of the range of written sources that have survived on the site of Herculaneum
• evaluate the usefulness of statuary and inscriptions as sources for political and social life in the town
• assess the management of the archaeological site in the late 20th century.

Content

• 18th Century tunnelling – treasure hunters and antiquarians
• Destruction in CE 79 – current theories
• Nature of the preservation
• 19th and 20th centuries – Fiorelli and Maiuri – their work on the site
• Skeletal material – Bisel’s initial work and Luigi Capasso’s monumental study
• Religion – civic and domestic
• Housing – houses and villas
• Problems of conservation – the Packard Foundation the British School’s Herculaneum Conservation

Intended audience

This course may be of interest to anyone wanting to:

• explore Roman history
• learn more about Roman archaeology
• explore the culture and history of Herculaneum
• visit the ruins of Herculaneum and therefore gain practical information about the town and its sites.

Prerequisites

None

Delivery modes

• Face-to-face, presenter-taught workshop
• Online workshop via the platform Zoom

Delivery style

Sessions compromise a lecture segment and a group discussion segment.

Materials

Any course materials are provided electronically using Dropbox.