ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Curiosity Stream Rediscovering a Town Frozen Under Ash | Herculaneum Scrolls
Before the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the Bay of Naples was a serene retreat, much like it is today. This picturesque location was a favorite getaway for the Roman elite. The Getty Villa in California is a replica of a grand estate from Herculaneum, believed to have been the residence of Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. Kenneth Leaton, the curator of antiquities at the museum, sheds light on this fascinating history.
The Bay of Naples served as a summer refuge for Roman senators and emperors, offering a cooler climate away from the city’s heat. It was akin to the Hamptons in the United States. While Pompeii often captures public imagination with its haunting body casts, the nearby town of Herculaneum also met a fiery fate. Situated at the base of Vesuvius, Herculaneum and its opulent estates were engulfed by volcanic materials.
Unlike Pompeii, where ash gently settled, Herculaneum was hit by a scorching, muddy cloud of volcanic gas. This preserved the town in a unique way, carbonizing many details. Although smaller and more deeply buried than Pompeii, Herculaneum is remarkably well-preserved. Discovered in the mid-18th century under 75 feet of volcanic ash, the town remains largely unexplored.
The treasures unearthed from Herculaneum are rare and invaluable. The Getty Villa’s 2019 exhibit, “Buried by Vesuvius,” showcased many artifacts from the site, including statues, frescoes, and charred papyrus scrolls. These scrolls, found at Villa dei Papiri, are a small part of an extraordinary library of around 18,800 relics, with many still buried.
Initially mistaken for charcoal, the scrolls were discovered to contain Greek writing. Carbonized by volcanic debris, they are challenging to unroll. Over the centuries, scholars have painstakingly pieced together these fragile manuscripts, revealing a library rich in poetry and Epicurean philosophy. These texts, which emphasize friendship and modest pleasures, were never copied by medieval scribes, making them unique.
This library is the only one from the ancient Greco-Roman world discovered with its contents intact. While many ancient library buildings exist, they are empty shells. The Herculaneum scrolls are invaluable, yet many remain sealed, their contents hidden from view. This mystery fuels curiosity and scholarly interest, as each scroll holds the potential to reveal new insights.
The intrigue surrounding Herculaneum has inspired new preservation efforts. Scholars have partnered with the UCLA School of Dentistry to use advanced X-ray technology to scan the scrolls. This collaboration aims to unlock the secrets of these ancient texts without damaging them, offering a glimpse into the past and preserving Herculaneum’s heritage for future generations.
Explore a virtual reconstruction of Herculaneum to understand its layout and architecture. Pay attention to the differences between Herculaneum and Pompeii, and consider how the unique preservation conditions have affected what we know about each site.
Research the lifestyle of the Roman elite during the time of Herculaneum. Prepare a presentation that highlights their daily activities, cultural practices, and the significance of the Bay of Naples as a retreat. Use visuals to enhance your presentation.
Create a simulation of the papyrus scrolls using modern materials. Attempt to “unroll” and decipher a message written in Greek or Latin. Reflect on the challenges faced by scholars in preserving and interpreting these ancient texts.
Engage in a debate about the ethical considerations and effectiveness of modern preservation techniques used on ancient artifacts. Discuss the balance between technological intervention and maintaining the integrity of historical items.
Work in groups to research the Epicurean philosophy found in the Herculaneum scrolls. Analyze its principles and discuss its relevance in today’s context. Present your findings in a written report or a creative format of your choice.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Back before the eruption, the Bay of Naples offered a restful environment, just as it does now—an ideal playground for the Roman elite. California’s Getty Villa is an architectural replica of the Herculaneum estate, thought to be the home of Caesar’s father-in-law. Kenneth Leaton is the museum’s curator of antiquities.
We know the Bay of Naples is where Roman senators and later emperors left the city in the heat of the summers for much more pleasant climates in the south. In a way, it was like the Hamptons in the United States. The nearby city of Pompeii, with its chilling body casts and death poses seemingly frozen in time, may haunt the public’s mind, but sitting at the base of Vesuvius, the small town of Herculaneum and the lavish estates surrounding it were burned and buried as well.
We know the wind was blowing south, so the huge column of volcanic material created an ash cloud that was blown south, and the ash gently fell on Pompeii. When the force of the volcano subsided, a very hot, steamy, muddy, volcanic gas cloud rolled down the hill at high speed, burning and burying Herculaneum very differently than Pompeii, carbonizing and thus preserving many of the finer details.
Herculaneum is smaller than Pompeii, more deeply buried, and better preserved—largely forgotten. Herculaneum’s ruins were first discovered in the mid-18th century under 75 feet of compacted volcanic ash. Over the next 300 years, excavation started and stopped, and the town still lies mostly underground and undisturbed. One reason why what has been unearthed is incredibly rare and treasured is that the Getty Villa’s 2019 summer exhibit, “Buried by Vesuvius,” includes many priceless items recovered from its ancient prototype, many on loan and transported out of Italy for the first time ever—statues, frescoes, and a few of those charred and scarred papyrus scrolls, by which the original site is now known as Villa dei Papiri.
It’s a small sample of an extraordinary find—a library of some 18,800 relics. There may be more that are yet unexcavated. We understand that when they first encountered these papyrus scrolls, they looked like charcoal briquettes. No one knew what they were, and the story goes that one of them was dropped and broke open, revealing letters in Greek writing, which led to their recognition. They were carbonized and essentially frozen by the volcanic debris, making them difficult to unroll.
Through the centuries, laborious efforts to unfurl the fragile manuscripts often left scholars with an odd collection of puzzle pieces. We could say it’s like a jigsaw puzzle in 3D because many of the fragments are multi-layered. Fabricio Diaz leads the department of papyri at the National Library of Naples, which holds the vast majority of the scrolls. The painstaking work to piece together the fragments has revealed a library largely consisting of poetry and Epicurean philosophy, detailing the virtues of friendship and modest pleasures—writings that were never copied by medieval and Muslim scribes and therefore hidden from scholarly interpretation.
It’s a primary source, a unique find. This is the only library we have with its contents from the ancient Greco-Roman world. We have lots of library buildings, but they are empty—just standing shells. The scrolls are invaluable in the sense that it’s the only library from antiquity that has ever been discovered in place. All other libraries from antiquity have been lost, but in many respects, it’s an unreadable library, with some 400 to 500 scrolls still sealed shut—ancient texts thought lost in plain sight.
What’s really interesting about Herculaneum is that it brings out personal interests and expectations because it’s mysterious and intriguing, entirely open to what each individual text may reveal. It was his earlier work with the ancient scrolls that excited those charged with preserving and protecting Herculaneum’s heritage and afforded a new scholarly partnership.
Yes, when I saw this clip, I thought, let’s work with our scrolls. So, he and his team partnered with the UCLA School of Dentistry to use powerful and sensitive X-ray equipment on site to scan those three scrolls before installation at the Getty exhibit.
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This version removes any potentially sensitive or inappropriate content while maintaining the essence of the original transcript.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – The history of the Roman Empire provides insight into the political and social dynamics of ancient civilizations.
Archaeology – The scientific study of material remains of past human life and activities. – Through archaeology, researchers have uncovered artifacts that shed light on the daily lives of ancient Egyptians.
Herculaneum – An ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic pyroclastic flows in 79 AD, alongside Pompeii. – Excavations at Herculaneum have revealed well-preserved wooden structures and frescoes.
Pompeii – An ancient city near modern Naples, Italy, buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. – The ruins of Pompeii offer a snapshot of Roman urban life frozen in time by volcanic ash.
Scrolls – Rolls of papyrus, parchment, or paper containing written texts, often used in ancient times. – The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has provided invaluable information about early Jewish history and culture.
Preservation – The act of maintaining or protecting something from decay or destruction. – The preservation of ancient manuscripts is crucial for understanding historical contexts and developments.
Artifacts – Objects made by humans, typically an item of cultural or historical interest. – The museum’s collection of artifacts from the Bronze Age includes tools and pottery that illustrate early human craftsmanship.
Library – A collection of sources of information and similar resources, made accessible for reference or borrowing. – The ancient Library of Alexandria was one of the most significant libraries of the ancient world, housing countless scrolls and texts.
Volcanic – Relating to or produced by a volcano or volcanoes. – The volcanic eruption that buried Pompeii also preserved many of its buildings and artifacts under layers of ash.
Ancient – Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence. – Ancient civilizations, such as the Mesopotamians, laid the foundations for modern society with their innovations in writing and law.
