Rediscovering Pompeii
The site of Pompeii was first rediscovered in 1594 when an irrigation channel was dug though the site to provide water for Count Muzzio Tuttavilla, however it was left buried until 1748, when excavations began in an area called 'Civita.' In the first phase of digging, the aim was to find art objects whiich could then be sent to Naples and to King Charles III of Spain. Wall paintings were stripped from the walls and framed, while other artefacts and paintings were left either damaged or destroyed. This leads to a limitation that these artefacts have, as many were either taken for the use of King Charles III, or they were so completely destroyed that they would be of no further use to anyone. During these first years of digging, the Villa di Cicerone and Villa di Giulia Felice began to be back-filled, however after protests from archaeologists at Pompeii the process stopped, however the stripping of wall-paintings continued. By the end of the 18th century, Quartiere di Teatri with the Tempo d'Iside and Via delle Tombe with Villa di Diomede were uncovered, due mainly to archaeologists Karl Weber and Francesco La Vega who oversaw the digs. At the same time during the 18th century, the city of Herculaneum was being for the first time after Prince of Elbeuf found a site that had ancient marble.
All the while, it was becoming more and more popular for the social elite of Italy to visit the site of Pompeii and find artefacts, and so during visits from these elites, special 'discoveries' would be made by archaeologists so that the elites could go away to boast about the finds having been found during their visit to Pompeii. By 1860, most of the western side of the town had been excavated. Giuseppe Fiorelli, archaeologist that controlled the site of Pompeii from 1863-1875, started a new system of excavating that started from the top of houses down, which then preserved artefacts better and could then help with the restoration of buildings. This was beneficial later on as newer archaeologists could take a better look at the houses Giuseppe had excavated and know that they were in the best condition possible. Giuseppe also created the plaster casts that, when placed over the forms of bodies, could recreate the corpses shape which in turn would allow them to be preserved.
However, there was one archaeologist that proved to be controversial and affected the site of Pompeii, called Amedeo Maiuri. While Maiuri found the city's walls and a large necropolis, he did so with inaccurate methodology, incompetent instruments, and with so little funding that resulted in many of the houses he uncovered being poorly restored and eventually the abandonment of his projects. This creates a limitation for the artefacts found during his excavations, because due to their poor restoration, they will not be in the best condition and so the artefacts inside may be permanently damaged, thus rendering them useless for people to use.
The site of Pompeii has proved to be crucial to understanding what life was like in Ancient Rome. It preserved information about everyday Roman life and has given the world artefacts that have never been seen from any other excavation sites throughout Italy. For example, the wall-paintings found in Pompeii have no other comparisons throughout the rest of the empire and can help modern society appreciate the taste of wealthy Roman society. It has also given us an insight into what life was like for people from every walk of society - from men, to women, to slaves and to children.
All the while, it was becoming more and more popular for the social elite of Italy to visit the site of Pompeii and find artefacts, and so during visits from these elites, special 'discoveries' would be made by archaeologists so that the elites could go away to boast about the finds having been found during their visit to Pompeii. By 1860, most of the western side of the town had been excavated. Giuseppe Fiorelli, archaeologist that controlled the site of Pompeii from 1863-1875, started a new system of excavating that started from the top of houses down, which then preserved artefacts better and could then help with the restoration of buildings. This was beneficial later on as newer archaeologists could take a better look at the houses Giuseppe had excavated and know that they were in the best condition possible. Giuseppe also created the plaster casts that, when placed over the forms of bodies, could recreate the corpses shape which in turn would allow them to be preserved.
However, there was one archaeologist that proved to be controversial and affected the site of Pompeii, called Amedeo Maiuri. While Maiuri found the city's walls and a large necropolis, he did so with inaccurate methodology, incompetent instruments, and with so little funding that resulted in many of the houses he uncovered being poorly restored and eventually the abandonment of his projects. This creates a limitation for the artefacts found during his excavations, because due to their poor restoration, they will not be in the best condition and so the artefacts inside may be permanently damaged, thus rendering them useless for people to use.
The site of Pompeii has proved to be crucial to understanding what life was like in Ancient Rome. It preserved information about everyday Roman life and has given the world artefacts that have never been seen from any other excavation sites throughout Italy. For example, the wall-paintings found in Pompeii have no other comparisons throughout the rest of the empire and can help modern society appreciate the taste of wealthy Roman society. It has also given us an insight into what life was like for people from every walk of society - from men, to women, to slaves and to children.