Herculaneum
Herculaneum ( Ercolano Italian ) was an ancient city in Campania, located on the Gulf of Naples, Pompeii and Stabiae which is like perished during the eruption of Vesuvius in the second half of the year 79. The modern successor settlement at the same location since 1969 Ercolano is called.
Myth
On the way back from his tenth task in which he had stolen from the herds of Geryon and killed the monster, Heracles halted in Rome. The goddess Fauna refused him to quench his thirst with hallowed, intended only for women water. In his anger, Heracles built a temple, which was dedicated to him and in which no women were allowed to participate in the ceremonies. Meanwhile, steel Cacus, son of Vulcan, Heracles some cattle from the herd of Geryon. After fruitless search Heracles wanted to return to Greece, when he heard his cows. He followed the sound, met Cacus, the thief pulled out of his cave, and killed him. At the place where he had killed Cacus, Hercules founded according to legend, the city of Herculaneum. The myth is narrated by Dionysius of Halicarnassus.
History
Little is known about the town in pre-Roman Oscan time. The name Herculaneum suggests, apart from the myth suggests that it was named after the Greek and origin; and in fact it appears in its earliest mention that we know, by Theophrastus (314 BC), under the name of Herakleion.
Also from the plant ( a regular rectangular pattern ) is close to a Greek foundation. Herculaneum was surrounded by a wall that hemmed an area of about 20 acres, and was situated on the coastal road that ran along the Gulf of Neapolis to Pompeii and Stabiae, the route of the Via Domitiana later.
Since 307 BC, Herculaneum was part of the Roman sphere of influence. In the Social War ( 91-88 BC), it was BC 89 occupied by the insurgents under Papius Mutilus, but captured a short time without much resistance from a legate of Sulla later. Unlike some neighboring towns it could keep the status of municipium. After the Roman model, the administration of the city was in the hands of duumviri, two supreme magistrates, with a term of one year.
At the time of destruction, it had about 4,000 inhabitants. Herculaneum was therefore significantly smaller than Pompeii: a small port town in which the trade played a minor role and the maritime trade largely passed by. The economy was based mainly on fishing, agriculture and small crafts. The equipment of the exposed houses, however, indicates to some great prosperity of the inhabitants. Because of the natural beauty, with its magnificent views over the bay of Naples, and its pure air - which has been praised by many ancient writers - Herculaneum was often chosen as a summer resort. Many wealthy Romans built their villas there and lived there with their slaves and craftsmen. The most famous is the Villa of the Papyri, named after the library of papyrus scrolls found there.
Eruption of Vesuvius
The catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 ( according to Pliny the Younger on August 24, but probably not until two months later ) came as a complete surprise to the residents of Campania. Since the volcano rested for 500 years, he was not even recognized more than volcano. Only Strabo pointed to similarities between Vesuvius and Etna. Also the earthquake of 62 was not interpreted as a harbinger of an impending eruption.
The course of the outbreak is characterized by two letters of Pliny the Roman historian Tacitus on the one hand, on the other hand ( carried out especially in recent years) by the findings of the excavations and geological studies of the area and a detailed analysis of the layers ( strata ) of volcanic material now so well known that the sequence of the outbreak can be traced relatively accurately.
The eruption began about 13 clock. The volcanic vent widened, and in a rapidly growing kilometer high eruption column of ash and lapilli were carried upwards. Upon reaching the tropopause, the cloud flattened out, so that their form of Pliny aptly with a Parasol was compared. The prevailing wind direction was toward the southeast, so that volcanic material fell mainly on Pompeii and the surrounding villages. The west of Vesuvius, Herculaneum location was affected in the first phase of the outbreak little. While the house roofs collapsed in Pompeii under ash load, fell in Herculaneum only a few centimeters of ash - still enough to make escape much of the population affected.
It was long thought nearly all the inhabitants had managed to escape, as found in the excavated areas of little skeletons. In 1982, the excavation area was extended to the ancient beach of Herculaneum, this proved to be wrong. Inside of twelve boat houses huddled together about 250 skeletons were found close. Why had the general flight not connected to the boat houses perished himself is unclear. Perhaps they hoped to escape across the sea, maybe they meant also to be safe in the relatively strong vaults of the boathouses before rain of ash and lapilli. The skeletons have above-average number of anomalies that indicate age, disability or illness. Presumably these people were unable to escape in time with the rest of the population.
As the night broke up into the stratosphere Ascended eruption column, the ejected material fell on the flank of Mount Vesuvius back and there formed a pyroclastic flow, based on a temperature of about 400 ° C and a speed of between 100 und 300 km / h Herculaneum raced. Upon reaching the boat houses around 1 clock at night there who remained died within seconds of thermal shock. The buildings of Herculaneum were damaged by this first power but relatively little since it did not result in a lot of material with it. An hour later, followed by a second stream which led large amounts of material with them and the buildings of Herculaneum met with great force. Towards morning, a third stream and during the morning reached a fourth power of the city. The material of the last streams was thick, viscous and filled the building up to the last corner. Herculaneum was completely buried under a volcanic layer of up to 20 m thickness. On cooling, this material solidified to form a dense mass of tuff.
This sequence is owed to the good state of preservation of the buildings of Herculaneum and their inventory:
Discovery and excavation
Over the centuries, knowledge of the exact location of the buried Herculaneum was lost, the remains of which in the Middle Ages through the town of Resina (that is only since 1969 Ercolano) were partly built over. They had indeed found already in the 16th century, some sculptures and inscriptions, but it was only in 1710 came a farmer accidentally when digging a well on the remains of the theater of Herculaneum. The area was of Emanuel Maurice de Lorraine, Prince d' Elboeuf, purchased, an exiled French aristocrat, who was stationed as commander of the Austrian army in Naples. In the following months he made at his own expense carry out excavation by tunnel driving. In these excavations nine statues were discovered, including the " Great" and the two "little Herculaneum ", the d' Elboeuf Prince Eugene in Vienna gave (now in Dresden).
As of 1738 allowed Charles of Bourbon, King of Naples to perform, inter alia, by soldiers and forced laborers systematic excavations. On December 11, they found an inscription on the " Theatrum Herculanense " what the presumption of the Marquis Don Marcello Venuti underscored that had to lie in the ground remains of a city. It began in the theater and in other places first to sink shafts to the ancient street level and then advance narrow galleries, depending on the wealth of finds. The excavation was carried out under the direction and supervision of the Neapolitan army. Particularly valuable pieces were placed in a wing of the royal residence in Portici, where since 1758 the Museo Ercolanese was housed.
1750 was ( also in plant of a well ), the Villa of the Papyri discovered what the excavation enthusiasm gave new impetus. From 1750 to 1761, and 1764/65 systematic excavations on the grounds of the villa and the so-called Basilica were using primarily led by Karl Weber, a Swiss military engineer, carried out. Weber also made detailed plans that make it possible today to identify the course of the excavation and discovery sites of individual works. 1765 forced the exit of gas in the tunnels discontinuation of the work and the sealing of the access.
The work was resumed only in 1828 by Francis I of Bourbon, but now for the first time in the open pit. On a acquired by the State 900 m² area the excavations were continued by the architect Carlo Bonucci to 1855. They were continued with the support of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel II in the years 1869-1875, in which with great difficulty in a small part of the excavation area, the entire volcanic surface layer was removed. Nevertheless, one could uncover in these excavations only the insulae II and VII.
Because of the considerable cost of Abräumens failed subsequently attempts to resume the excavations. Only started in 1924 under the direction of Amedeo Maiuri the next excavation phase, which continues with brief interruptions until today. Is complicated by a complete excavation by modern redevelopment. Under Maiuri an area had been expropriated by nine acres, the further expansion of the excavation area to the north abuts the residential community of Ercolano.
From 1982 to 1988, in particular the area of the ancient port and the beach was under the direction of U.S. archaeologist Sara C. Bisel excavated and a large number was found by skeletons in the boathouses, a Fund, to an accurate palaeopathological and paläodemografischen analysis was a representative, at the same deceased people cross section of an ancient city of opportunity.
In the years 1996 to 1998 excavations were made in the open air in the Villa of the Papyri, where previously unknown underground floors of the villa have been found.
Finds
In addition to numerous partially preserved (including its interior ) private homes and some public buildings and located on the outskirts of the town houses have been uncovered. Some houses are still Roman graffiti to read, kitchens charred pieces of bread, cereals and egg shells were found.
Most of the excavated at Herculaneum ancient works of art are now in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. These include, inter alia, the found in various places frescoes and the 70 large bronze sculptures from the Villa of the Papyri, which has become known through the discovery of a unique library of charred papyrus scrolls with works of ancient Greek philosophers.
In early February 1990, two masked and armed thieves procured gain access to the storage room of the finds. After they overwhelmed the six sentries and tied in a hut, they captured more than 250 valuable artifacts - jewels, coins, and numerous small Bonzestatuetten. Among them was the decoration of the known as the " Ring Lady" skeleton. The pieces are gone today.
Pictures
Original store equipment
Residence
Bronze statue of a runner from the large Gartenperistyl the Villa of the Papyri
Pavement
Domestic water from lead
Wall painting in the first style