Pompeii Casts
THE HUMAN SIDE OF THE TRAGEDY
Whoever entry to Pompeii excavations will immediately immerged in a unique spectacle in the world, visible only in this small town on the foot of Mount Vesuvius. An original Roman city that has not suffered any of those alterations and changes that inevitably affected over the centuries other and important archaeological sites in Italy and around the world.
For Pompeii, the time stopped at August 24th, 79 A.D.: from that moment the Vesuvius "took a photo", crystallized a picture of the city and covered it, sealed and protected under a layer of ashes and lapilli high up to 6 meters, to deliver it after more than 1700 years to poses just as it was at the time of the eruption.
That 24 August of 79 d. C. Vesuvius also stopped the life of all those Pompeians who did not want or could not leave the city and therefore, caught up by the incandescent cloud produced by the collapse of the pyroclastic column, were burnt instantly as they were exposed at a temperature of about 300 ° C!
These tragic and last moments of life have been crystallized in the famous Pompeian casts, which are the most humane and tangible expression of the ancient tragedy.
In front of them no visitor can hold the emotion: they are not human skeletons visible in other archaeological sites or museums, but a true black and white photograph of the last instant of life lived by almost 2000 years ago !. The casts, in fact, preserve the real form, the exterior appearance, the clothing, the features, the last gestures, the last position and the last expression of the face of the ancient Pompeian. There are men, young men, women, children and even a dog immortalized in the casts, proving that the fury of the volcano has spared none, neither young nor old, neither rich nor poor!
Definitely suggestive is the shoe nicknamed "The Lovers": two twisted bodies, almost embraced, rebuilt in 1922 in the house of the Cryptoportic. Those who found them first did not have any doubts: it was a pair of lovers, a man and a woman, who waited together to embrace death. It later stated that the pair was made up of two women, one mother and one daughter; The cast then became the symbol of motherly love: a mother protected her daughter's embrace in the last moments of life. A few months ago, the last shot: deep exams showed that the pair is formed by two men, who are not father and son, because they are two boys almost peers. Two homosexual lovers or two brothers clinging to the last hug before death?
Equally moving is the family group found in the House of the Golden Bracelet: the mother with the baby sitting on her lap, an adult man (probably her father) hit by a beam and another baby with her forward arms, the little All-round tunic and lips tightened by suffering; From the analysis made on this plaster found that the child was about four years old and that at the time of his death he wore the "bulla", a shell shaped medallion that all the Roman children wore from the ninth day of life onwards . The bulla, which unfortunately is not visible to the naked eye (you can see externally just a swelling at the point where the medallion is located) was probably golden, prove that the House of the Golden Bracelet was inhabited by a rich family of Pompeii.
From the grand palestra, however, comes the man's skull curled and bent forward, which with his hand takes the tunic to his mouth, probably to protect himself from the gases; Is the sad "photo" of a death for asphyxiation.
It is also fascinating to note the jeweled lady found in the house of the gladiators: initially it was thought that the woman had gone there for an appointment with one of the gladiators (the sex symbols of the time); Today, however, it is believed that the woman came near the barracks to escape to death, losing the place safely. And the jewels that carried a part on and a piece in a bag? The woman had probably decided to take away the most precious objects from her home, for fear of theft during her absence. It is evident that he did not have the perception of the catastrophe that was about to fall on her and on her city!
Pompeii's castings are not only an extraordinary and moving document of humanity, but also a very important archaeological document: they return to us textiles of the time, pieces of furniture, jewelry and human material (DNA etc) to be studied; In fact, thanks to recent studies on castings, carried out with the most modern means, scholars know much more about Pompeii and its inhabitants, for example that:
- most Pompeii is dead or choc thermal caused by the burning cloud that invaded Pompeii or by bone fractures caused by the collapse of roofs and beams; Only a few died for asphyxiation;
- almost all the Pompeian found have perfect teeth, a sign of healthy eating, made of fruits and vegetables;
- the fabrics worn by the Pompeian were rather heavy and therefore unsuitable for August; So perhaps the date of the eruption from August can be dated in fall, couple of months later .
The castings are partially exposed in a special circular structure of steel and glass and partly in the excavations themselves.
Book your excursion to Pompeii with the Naples Tour Service: you will be taken from your hotel, port or any other point, with comfortable minivan to the excavations of Pompeii where you can admire the casts and many other wonders accompanied by our expert guides.Get info