Herculaneum

A few weeks ago we visited the ruins of Herculaneum. Here are some pictures we took and some things we thought you might find interesting.

Herculaneum was a small town (the urban area was equivalent to about 1/3rd of the area of Pompeii - Population 4,000-5,000). It was situated on the furthest slopes of Vesuvius between 2 rivers overlooking the sea.

Here are some views of the past and present. The city of Ercolano is built over the ruins. In both pictures, the new city begins at the yellow buildings.

In 63 A.D., this town was abruptly interrupted by a disastrous earthquake which devastated not only Herculaneum, but the entire Campania region (by the way, we live in the Campania region). The town suffered serious damage.

The earthquake was only prelude to a far worse catastrophe. On August 24, 79 A.D., the town, still undergoing repairs from the earthquake damage, was engulfed by a huge river of boiling mud and debris produced by the terrifying eruption of the volcano; penetrating every home, every street, every building, every square, everything in its path.

The eruption of 79 A.D. radically altered the lay of the land; by raising it over 20 meters (over 65 feet). As Pompeii was destroyed by lava, ash and white-hot rock, Herculaneum was destroyed by a huge river of mud and debris; thereby preserving items such as tables, chairs, beds, etc.

The walls you see here were the western border of the city. The water of the Mediterranean Sea would come up to these walls.

Another difference from the fate of Pompeii was that the population of Herculaneum probably had time to escape towards the sea. However, for most of the fugitives, the attempt to reach safety failed because of a violent tidal wave preventing them from fleeing the catastrophe.

Historically, Herculaneum had Greek orgins. The Greeks of Neapolis ruled Herculaneum from the 6th century B.C.

Between the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C., Herculaneum was one of the Campanian towns which fought against Roman domination. But in 89 B.C. the town of Herculaneum was forced to yield to Rome.

The Greek influence is seen through out the town, from the architecture and construction of it's buildings to the layout of the city (main roads running north-south and the secondary ones running east-west; built at right angles in a strictly regular pattern).

Look closely at the column which has damage to it. This is a special glimpse inside the making of their columns. We were surprised to see the structural base of the column (or center) was brick with a covering of decorative concrete or marble.

Interesting!

Their walls were build with bricks and then covered with a thick layer of plaster. If you look closely you will see different types of bricks used and laid out in different patterns. The plaster would then be decoratively covered.

The homes were built around an open courtyard. The walkways around the courtyard was left open on the ground level.

The size of the homes and the lavishness in which they were build and decorated, says much about the inhabitants who lived here.

This particular home is the largest one found; some if it is unable to be excavated because of the town above it. If you look closely you should be able to see the stairway on the right in the back.

What surprised us the most was the way in which they handled their sewer and water delivery. Herculaneum had an underground sewage system as opposed to Pompeii's open sewer, the streets. Each home in Herculaneum had their sewage piped to the main line under the streets; which dumped into the bay.

This picture shows the pipes they used to deliver the water to the houses. They are made of lead.

Iron was used in the structural support for the building as well. We found iron, as shown in these two pictures, in the ceiling and side walls. There was even an iron I-Beam in the wall of the men's gymnasium.

As shown in the picture above, the Greek influence is no more prevalent than in the homes. Each home had an area for worship of their Gods. They had these sacellums (some were small as above and some were large as shown to the right) where the statues of their Gods would reside.

What fascinates me is the likeness the Catholic's sanctuary, which they have for their statues that are placed at several of the homes, to the sacellums of the Greeks.

The floors of the homes were lavish and intricate. Here is a picture of the floor in one of the rooms of the men's gymnasium. Imagine laying each of these tiles!

If you look carefully you can see that the floor has dropped. There is a step in the upper left-hand corner. Originally there was no step; it was one level floor.

The white tiles in this home are laid out in a certain pattern. Although they are not florescent, they could be seen at night to help those walking around know where to walk.

Some homes had wells. This opening was marred by the rope used to draw the water. That is what these marks are from. Originally the opening was smooth and round.

There were some businesses in Herculaneum. Those businesses were support for the residence. There were laundries and food establishments and whatever other business that were needed to support the residents at the time. Here is a picture of a food establishment that was uncovered in the excavation.

That was our venture into the past at Herculaneum. We only explored about 1/3rd of what was there. We Hope you liked our short tour.

We send all our love to our family and friends. We think of you always.

Elder and Sister Warner