Roman
historian and archaeologist Dr. Joanne Berry shares eight lesser-known Pompeii
facts.
1)
Pompeii is not frozen in time, nor is it a perfect time-capsule. The eruption
of Vesuvius in AD 79 caused vast damage – fires were started, rooftops were
swept away, columns collapsed. Most of the inhabitants of the town escaped into
the surrounding countryside (although we have no idea how many of those died
there). They took with them small valuables, like coins and jewellery, and
lamps. Organic materials, like sheets, blankets, clothes, curtains, were mostly
destroyed. In the years and centuries after the eruption, salvagers explored
Pompeii, tunnelling through walls and removing valuable objects. The earliest
formal excavations in the 18th century
were little more than treasure-hunting exercises, which means that records of
finds are poor or non-existent. There is also evidence that some finds, such as
wall-paintings and pottery, were deliberately destroyed by the excavators
because they were not considered to be of high enough quality! All these
factors make Pompeii a challenging site to study – much like most other
archaeological sites. See pictures and read the complete article at -- http://www.historyextra.com/article/international-history/8-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-pompeii%20
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