Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and the cities of Pompeii & Herculaneum were completely buried. For 1600 years, their secrets were lost in time. When a peasant in the early 1700s discovered marble blocks while deepening his well, he found Herculaneum. Thus began the removal of anything valuable from both cities. In the 1800s, significant and ground breaking archaeology of the sites began. Guiseppe Fiorelli was the inspiration for new methods of excavation, but was best known for his plaster casts of victims of the eruption.
The 20th Century saw many exciting developments, beginning with the work of Amedeo Maiuri. New research and technology, guided by Sarah Bisel, Estelle Lazer and Haraldur Sigurdsson, uncovered a society frozen in time. However ethical issues surrounding the display of human remains, and how best to conserve and reconstruct the sites, pose challenges which continue today.
This comprehensive 46 minute DVD is the second of two programmes on Pompeii and Herculaneum. The DVD, combined with Paul Latham's extensive Teachers Notes, provides an invaluable resource.
KEY LEARNING AREAS:
The Earthquake of AD 62 - Mount Vesuvius Eruption AD 79 - Discovering the Buried Past, 18th Century - Changing Methods of 19th Century Archaeology - Investigating and Preserving the Past in 20th Century Archaeology - New Research and Technology - Ethical Issues - Conservation and Reconstruction.
SUBJECT AREAS:
Ancient History - Ancient Society and Culture - Classical Studies - Society and Environment
STUDY AREAS:
SENIOR: Ancient Society and Culture - People, Place and Time JUNIOR: Ancient Societies