Rome, Italy (Pompeii)

15 May 2024 - Rome, Italy (Pompeii)

Took a LONG day trip south to Pompeii. It took almost 4 hours to get there because of an accident on the highway. And over 3 hours to get back because of traffic. And I thought Rome was crowded - Pompeii was crazy! But I was able to see more than I thought I would - accessibility was pretty good all the way down the main street of Pompeii and in several of the houses/businesses.

When the eruption occurred in 79 AD, the wealthy city of 10,000 was buried under up to 20 feet of volcanic ash. Its location was lost to history and the place was not rediscovered until the late 16th century. Major excavations started in the 18th century and looting was prevalent. Then organized minds prevailed. Areas were gridded out and records were kept of the findings. By 1960, much of Pompeii had been uncovered and further excavations were banned or limited to targeted areas. Our guide said that about 30% of the city has not been excavated.

Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - it is one of the few places in the world where we get an authentic look back at life in the far, far past. The Roman kept detailed records and some of those were preserved in the ash, along with kitchen utensils, bodies, and, wall paintings. Archeologists have been able to learn the names of people who owned businesses and homes and even, in some cases, the names of the employees in the cafes that were everywhere.

The visit was amazing. On the one hand, it is very sad to think of the terror the people felt during that time, the devastation, and the chaotic aftermath for the survivors. On the other hand, we are so privileged to have access to a snapshot in time. It was well worth the drive.

Exited through the 2nd wall of Rome as we headed south to Pompeii.

Pompeii was a major trading center and was full of traders and tourists. This hotel hosted families and business people. This is an outdoor bath where hotel visitors could relax.

The hotel had a beautiful garden. Archeologists have researched what type of plants were likely in the destroyed garden and have replanted them.

The columns are original to the hotel, but the roof has been recreated. Everything that was organic, including, wood, plants and people, were incinerated in the eruption.

This is an eating area. The wood table is gone as well as the cushions that customers would have sat on. The steps iin the wall was a waterfall for the diners’ pleasure.

The stained walls were often saved. This red is known as “Pompeii Red” and is seen all over the city. This is a wall in the dining area of the hotel.

This is a school for boys. They learned reading and writing and also physical skills. There was also a separate school for boys who were going to be in the army and one for the gladiator slaves.

Training grounds for physical fitness at the school.

This theater was the largest in the area and drew people from adjacent cities. Plays, music concerts and gladiator fights were held here. I believe this was rebuilt after it was found in the volcanic ash. Many buildings were knocked over on the 2nd day of eruptions by the pyroclastic flows.

Streets had sidewalks and a road. The road was reserved for cart travel and contained sewage.

These signs are written in “Vulgar Latin”, which is like street language, not what you would see in books. The main street had political advertisements.

Unlike Rome, a large part of Pompeii was laid out in grid fashion.

These big stones were placed at street intersections to allow pedestrians to cross the streets without trodding in the sewage. Rome had standardized wagon width so that the wheels could pass between these boulders. Just think of how many carts had to pass to wear a groove in the rocks! Carts could not travel on the road during the day, they were restricted to night travel only.

Every couple blocks, a water fountain was built. Residents used these for drinking water. They had different designs so the residents could have a way to identify them when arranging to meet each other - “See you at the bull fountain tomorrow!”

Some of the wealthier homes had detailed mosaic floors.

These same wealthy homes featured wall paintings of Greek myths. Pompeii was first founded in the 8th century BC. In the 4th century BC, the Greeks took over and had a strong influence on the life and culture.

Pompeii homes had a common design. The main living area had a sunken pool. The roof was wooden and angled a bit down towards a hole in the center. When it rained, the water fell through the hole and filled the pool. Not sure if the pool served more than a decorative purpose.

Many, many food establishments on the Main Street. The holes here held pots with food. People would eat their noon meal at these places. Most did not have a dining room, so it was street food only. Very like Rome today. Except, in Pompeii, the road with all the sewage was 10 feet away, with all the flies and smells.

This symbol was carved into the road to show that if you turned left at the next street, you would find the brothels.

This was the large home of a wealthy family. Archeologists don’t know if there was a real dog at the house, but this floor mosaic at the entrance warned people of the dog.

Most of Pompeii still shows the ash color which covered it for millennia. This eatery, however, had been polished by visitors’ sweaty and oily hands touching it over the years and it shows the beauty of the original stones.

This room contains the pots and pans that were found when the site was excavated.

Most buildings were two stories high, but collapsed during the eruption.

The rubble above the wall is the ash that covered the city. When the eruption was over, the city was covered up to 20 feet in this ash which solidified and people weren’t able to dig through.

If this looks like a pizza/bread oven, that is because it is. This is a bakery on a side street.

This is the home of a very important person. It was quite large compared to the others.

The roof of the town’s baths.

The guide was explaining that the cubbies on the right side of the baths were where you could store your clothes while you bathed. Your slave would sit on the bench below and protect your belongings. If you didn’t own a slave, you could rent one.

The design of the baths was pretty elaborate, with cold, warm and hot rooms. The vents below allowed water to circulate under the tubs.

The main street ended at the Forum, the center for business and government. It is a large square surrounded by various temples and government buildings.

Mount Vesuvius in the background. The guide said that there are a total of 25 volcanoes in the area.

This is a controversial statue. It is modern and many Italians feel it does not belong in an ancient city.

The government buildings in this forum contained records that were invaluable in describing the life of the city. Land records and wills were found and helped identify citizens of the city.

Excavation continues. The large buildings that we visited were excavated in the 1980s.

The museum on the site contained some of the artifacts found during excavation. This is an oil lamp.

Approximately 2,000 of the 10,000 citizens died in the eruption, most on the 2nd day. Their bodies were instantly incinerated in the hot ash. Archeologists discovered that they could fill the empty holes in the ash with cement and recover images of the bodies.