2011 Field Season Pompeii

Hi all,
well I am back at home in my favourite place, Pompeii. The 2011 field season has begun and we have now started working in the scavi. This is just a short note to let you know that we have started and I will post a longer blog and some activities for my students tonight when I get to download my first photos of the season.
Let me tell you that it is certainly a different start to last season. No cold snap or rain; 30 deg temperatures from the moment I hit the ground in Italy.The pool here at the hotel has already become welcome relief after a days work. We got our work permits with no issue or hold up this year which also has been great. Interestingly, I feel that the tourist numbers seem down. Been relatively quiet in the scavi so far this week.
Our work this season will see us in some exciting properties. The House of Julia Felix, Chaste Lovers and Julius Polibius, The House of the Surgeon and House of the Vestals. The team is also now two teams, one completing remediation full time.
This season I am leading a photo team for the Remediation team. More to come tonight.

Slow Start to 2011

Hi everyone,

sorry about the slow start to 2011. Seems there has been a lot going on and I have finally sorted a bunch of stuff out so I can resume blogging my adventures in Ancient History and Archaeology.
2011 has not been a quiet year in the field so I have a lot of news, at least the most recent stuff, to catch you up on. Some most recent stuff about Pompeii and Herculaneum.

It's now only 8 weeks till work begins for me in the field with Pompeii Food and Drink and I am as excited as ever. Many of the team of volunteers from last year are coming back along with some new faces so I know we are going to have a blast. It is the only job you can do where the work is as much fun as the down time.

I am planning some new things this year including a podcast for Ancient History and Archaeology geeks like us and possibly an Ancient History expo towards the end of the year. The podcast will help me bring to you some of the most wonderful people who work in the field (particularly in Pompeii) and allow both teachers and archaologists to discuss the ins and outs of new discoveries, happenings and issues and also things that affect you, Ancient History students and enthusiasts, many of whom are completing studies in the discipline.

I am also begining to be invited to various schools to give presentations on Pompeii and my experiences there and work in the field as a member of the Pompeii Food and Drink team. Happy to attend any school to do this as long as you contact my Principal to arrange it.

At present, most of my Pompeii field work photos are in albums on my personal Facebook page. I will investigate starting up a Rob Brown Archaeologist Facebook page so that I can post the field work and appropriate pictures there. It will also provide a forum for comments and discussion as well as questions you may like answered for your studies.

Finally I am hoping to gain more experience excavation a little closer to home. I have made representations to the local council to begin an archaeological excavation on a small scale at a local colonial property close to home and school. It will allow me to not only develop my experience in excavation techniques but allow me to teach my students in the field not just out of texts with regards to archaeology. As red tape slowly gets processed and hoops are jumped through I'll cross fingers this eventuates. Some test survey work on the site was very productive with both brickwork and ceramic finds.

Anyway, I'll begin reposting news and information shortly.

Getty Villa to Present Apollo from Pompeii: Investigating an Ancient Bronze

Unknown, Apollo as an Archer (The Apollo Saettante), 100 BC- AD79. Medium: Bronze. Dimensions: Object: H: 147 x W: 55 x D: 114 cm (57 7/8 x 21 5/8 x 44 7/8 in.) Accession No. VEX.2011.1.1 Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei, Naples, Italy, 5629.


LOS ANGELES, CA (AP).- After eighteen months of analysis, conservation, and re-stabilization, the bronze statue of Apollo Saettante (Apollo as an Archer) from Pompeii will go on view at the Getty Villa from March 2 to September 12, 2011 in the exhibition Apollo from Pompeii: Investigating an Ancient Bronze. Providing a behind-the-scenes look at this rare treasure, the special six-month exhibition presents the results of the first full study of this ancient sculpture.

Originally located in the Temple of Apollo in Pompeii, the Apollo Saettante was discovered in fragments centuries after it was buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. The bulk of the figure was unearthed in June 1817 just north of the Forum. A year later, in October 1818, veteran soldiers hunting a fox near the ancient city walls stumbled across some of the statue’s still-missing parts. The Apollo was one of the first major bronzes to be found at Pompeii, and was subsequently reassembled and displayed in the Real Museo Borbonico in Naples.

The conservation of the Apollo Saettante at the Getty Villa is the result of an important collaboration between the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples, as part of a broad cultural exchange agreement made in 2007 between the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Getty Museum. This exhibition marks the Apollo Saettante’s first showing in the United States, and complements the Villa’s collection of ancient works from Greece, Rome, and Etruria. Following its exhibition in Los Angeles, the statue will be returned to Naples, where the Getty's conservation efforts will ensure its stability for generations.

The Apollo Saettante arrived in Los Angeles on loan for study and conservation treatment in 2009, together with the Statue of an Ephebe (Youth) as a Lampbearer, which is currently on view in the Basilica at the Getty Villa.

“This project has provided us an unprecedented opportunity,” said Erik Risser, an assistant conservator of antiquities at the J. Paul Getty Museum and co-curator of the exhibition. “Large bronzes rarely survive from antiquity, and the chance to conduct a thorough investigation into the Apollo Saettante has brought to light its rich and complex history.”

A variety of approaches, including archival research, X-radiography, ultra-violet photography, and endoscopic examination, have provided important new information regarding both the techniques used to make the statue in antiquity, and also the methods used to restore it in the nineteenth century. The investigations extended to analyses of the metal alloy composition, the pigments on the surface, and even of the types of bolts used in the re-assembly, all to answer questions about previous restoration efforts.

Apollo from Pompeii: Investigating an Ancient Bronze presents the results of these investigations, displaying art-historical, technical, and scientific evidence side by side in order to demonstrate the range of methods used during the study of the statue at the Getty Villa. Special features include the discovery of a large void in the statue’s back, which indicates that the method of its ancient manufacture was highly unusual, and the identification of two different phases of restoration. An interactive touch-screen display in the exhibition will provide visitors with the opportunity to explore the statue. This interactive feature will also be available on the Web at www.getty.edu.

Alongside select examples of ancient bronze sculpture from the Getty Museum’s Antiquities collection and a series of archival drawings and documents from the Getty Research Institute, the exhibition will also feature a bronze statue of Artemis, the sister piece to the Apollo Saettante. The two faced one another in the Temple of Apollo at Pompeii, and the inclusion of the Artemis, also on loan from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples, will provide a unique opportunity to develop and extend the discoveries that have been made in examining the Apollo.

This exhibition follows a series of Getty Villa exhibitions devoted to restoration and conservation, including The Hope Hygeia: Restoring a Statue’s History (2008), Fragment to Vase: Approaches to Ceramic Restoration (2008-2009), and Reconstructing Identity: A Statue of a God from Dresden (2009-2010), as well as early excavations in the Bay of Naples (The Herculaneum Women and the Origins of Archeology, 2007).

The exhibition is also one in a series of Italian collaborations that have brought important works of art to the Getty Museum, beginning in June 2009 with the display of the Chimaera of Arezzo in partnership with the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Florence. The Getty also has long-term agreements with the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples, and the Sicilian Ministry of Culture and Sicilian Identity, for exhibitions over the coming years.

Two More Walls Collapse in Crumbling Pompeii (Reuters Article)

Here is an article from Reuters this morning about further collapses yesterday in Pompeii. Heavy rains are taking their toll this year and only goes to show how fragile the ancient city is. It is good to see UNESCO getting involved.



(Reuters) - Two walls crumbled at the ruins of Pompeii Wednesday, the latest of four collapses in a month at the 2,000-year-old Roman-era site whose decay has become an embarrassment for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government.

A statement from Pompeii's archaeological superintendent department said the collapse involved an area two metres (yards) high and three metres wide of the wall along one of the site's main streets, the Via Stabiana.

A small chunk of a side room in the "House of the Small Lupanar," which was not open to the public, also fell, the statement said, adding both collapses were probably due to the heavy rains of the last few days.

Tuesday, a section of a modern retaining wall in the "House of the Moralist" crumbled and on November 6 the "House of the Gladiators" collapsed, shining a spotlight on the decay of the ancient city buried by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

Archaeologists, commentators and opposition politicians have accused Berlusconi's government of neglect and mismanagement of the UNESCO world heritage site, which has long been plagued by poor maintenance and lack of funds.

Culture Minister Sandro Bondi, who faces a no-confidence motion over the issue, says he is not to blame.

"Between September 2003 and February 2010 there have been 16 collapses at Pompeii -- so you see they don't just happen when the center-right is in government," he told Corriere della Sera Wednesday.

The Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization said it would send a team of experts on Thursday to investigate the state of the archaeological site.

"This reactive monitoring mission will seek to identify potential threats to other structures at the site and possible measures, including the implementation of legal and management provisions, to avoid any further incidents," the U.N. agency said in a statement.

Pompeii was inscribed on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites in 1997.

(Reporting by Antonella Cinelli; Additional reporting by Leigh Thomas in Paris; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

King Tut comes to Melbourne

As we start to wind down both the school and university years its time to look forward to what the past has to offer next year.

Probably one of the biggest announcements for teachers of ancient history here in Oz was the announcement that the King Tut: Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit is coming to the Melbourne Museum in 2011. The museum is not a stranger to fantastic travelling exhibitions having hosted both the Pompeii and Titanic exhibitions recently. The king Tut exhibit is a massive undertaking in terms of size and the Melbourne Museum is one of the few museums in Australia capable of holding it.

This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for many (particularly our students) and one that teachers should consider taking their students to see. For those who want a behind the scenes look at the exhibit, National Geographic recently aired a special about the US tour of the exhibit and how it is put together.

The Melbourne Museum has an official exhibit website that everyone will find useful.
The URL is listed here http://www.kingtutmelbourne.com.au

From the website comes the following:

THE GREATEST EXHIBITION OF ALL TIME ONLY AT MELBOURNE MUSEUM

For the first time in Australia's history, the record-breaking Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition visits Melbourne for its only Australian stop before Egypt's treasures return to Cairo. Part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces season, revel in the splendour of Ancient Egypt as you view a dazzling array of possessions unearthed from Tutankhamun's tomb. See Tutankhamun's golden canopic coffinette and the crown found on his head when the tomb was discovered.



Photo: Family viewing model ship for river travel

Learn about the extraordinary discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and the belief and burial processes of Ancient Egypt. View results from the latest scientific testing conducted on Tutankhamun's mummy and what it is telling researchers about his life and death. More than seven million visitors have attended the exhibition in Europe and America.

So, as you plan for your students next year, try fit this in. Miss it and you will definitely regret it.

Rome warns of more Pompeii collapses

Rome – Further unique relics from the Roman town of Pompeii are in danger of collapse, Italy's culture minister warned on Sunday – following the collapse of the famous "Gladiator's House" this weekend.

Frescoes from the 2 000 year-old Roman building "can probably be restored", Sandro Bondi insisted.

But Bondi also warned that unless urgent work is carried out, other archaeological treasures in Pompeii could share the same fate as the Gladiators' House.

The 40-square-metre edifice was used by gladiators to train before going to fight in a nearby amphitheatre.

First reports suggested that water infiltration following recent heavy rains may have caused the ground to shift causing the collapse of the roof, part of the walls and its facade.

Disgrace for Italy

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has described the incident as a "disgrace for Italy".

Critics, including several experts, say the upkeep of many of Italy's heritage sites, including the Colosseum and Pompeii, has become impossible by funding cuts made by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government.

"If (I) knew for certain that I was responsible for what has happened (in Pompeii) then I would resign," Bondi said, speaking during a visit to inspect the damage at the site.

Bondi suggested the upkeep of the Pompeii has been mismanaged. Only half of the funds allocated in 2009 were actually spent, he revealed.

Pompeii was destroyed in 79AD by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius that killed thousands of people and buried the city in six metres of volcanic ash.


- SAPA

Collapse in Pompeii

Hi everyone,

woke up this morning to this news from Pompeii. It highlights the fragile and unpredictable state of the ancient site and is becoming a rather sad and fairly regular occurance in the scavi...


Italian officials say ancient house used by gladiators in Pompeii has collapsed
By The Associated Press (CP)

ROME — A 2,000-year-old house in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, which was once used by gladiators to train before combat, collapsed Saturday, officials said.

The site was closed at the time and nobody was injured, but the collapse underscored a controversy over the poor state of Pompeii, one of Italy's main tourist attractions.

The office of Pompeii's archaeological superintendent said the collapse occurred Saturday at around 6 a.m. (0500 GMT). Attendants opening the site saw the collapse about an hour later.

The house, called by the Latin name "Schola Armaturarum Juventis Pompeiani," was closed to the public, and could only be seen from the outside, and it was not considered at risk of collapse, officials said.

Situated on Pompeii's main street, the site was quickly cordoned off.

Antonio Varone, director of Pompeii's excavations, told the ANSA news agency that officials were trying to "preserve up to the last fragment of the 'Schola Armaturarum.'"

There was no official word on possible causes. News reports said water infiltration following heavy rains in the past days might be the cause.

The 430-square-foot (40-square-meter) space was used by gladiators to train before going to fight in a nearby amphitheatre, as well as by other athletes. It was also a storehouse for weapons and armour.

Pompeii was destroyed in A.D. 79 by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius that killed thousands of people and buried the city in 20 feet (six meters) of volcanic ash. But the ash also helped preserve Pompeii's treasures, providing precious information about what life was like in the ancient world.

The gladiators' house was believed to have been built near the end of Pompeii's life. It was partially destroyed during World War II, and the roof and some of the walls had been rebuilt.

The Culture Minister, Sandro Bondi, said some frescoes on the lower walls may have been preserved.

Italy has long grappled with its vast cultural and archaeological heritage, amid chronic shortage of funds, negligence and vandalism. Officials have had difficulty preserving Pompeii, which is visited by over 2 million people every year.

Only last month, Italy's most influential paper, Corriere della Sera, ran an editorial headlined "The humiliation of Pompeii" in which it said the cement works were damaging the ruins and that the last commissioner had ended his mandate in June.

Bondi called for greater funds for Pompeii, while the opposition was quick to blame the government.

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