The excavations of Pompeii constitute an extraordinary evidence of the ancient world thanks to the condition of the city that remained intact after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 ac. Between the 7th and 6th century B.C the town of Pompeii knew a growth of its population as the city had two important ways of communication that facilitate its commerce. During the centuries Pompeii was a dominion of Sanniti and other populations. Starting from the 18th century Pompeii saw the light thanks to the excavations that the Bourbon wanted. This permitted to have a precise frame of the daily life of the roman period. Today we can admire again the most important streets of the town on which the houses, the little shops and the public monuments faced, as the famous amphitheatre.
Glimpses on the archaeological excavation of Pompeii
The first excavations of the area dates back to 1748: Carlo III Borbone wanted them after the discovery of Herculaneum.
Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre directed the works: he founded several coins and objects of the roman period. However, de Alcubierre thought he found the ancient Stabiae. Then, the works had a stop as the recoveries seemed to diminish. The works begin again in 1754 and in 1763 an epigraph was found: it stated about the Res Publica Pompeianorum, which proved that the city was Pompeii. During the works a big part of the city saw the light, as the area of the theatres, the Temple of Isis (Iside), the triangular Forum so as several necropolis. When the town was a dominion of the Murat family the excavations of Pompeii knew a positive period thanks to the discovery of the Door of Herculaneum. This episode brought new fame to the town that became an important stop of the Gran Tour. After the Murat family the Bourbon gained the power again and the ruins were used just as a place to show to the hosts of the court. In 1870 the fist map of the entire area was made: it showed how the town was like before the eruption caused by the Vesuvius. In the 20th century many excavations around the area of the Door of Herculaneum were finished and many buildings were restored. In 1980 a violent earthquake caused damages to the area, however the excavation went on.
The archaeological area of Pompeii today
In 1997 the archaeological area gained the important title of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. In 2010 the area received a loan from EU that intended to preserve the area but during the restorations some parts unfortunately collapsed. Thanks to the discovery of numerous artefacts today we can have a deeper knowledge of art, customs and traditions of more than two millenniums ago. Today the area is run by the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici.
