Search Results (10)

Pompeii is widely known for its tragic past. In 79 A.D., a massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the city and its inhabitants under volcanic ash. Lost for centuries, it was rediscovered in 1748 when the Bourbon monarchs initiated excavations, marking the beginning of systematic digs. Since then, Pompeii has gained worldwide recognition for its archeological wonders. Despite centuries of looting and damage, it remains a breathtaking site. With millions of visitors annually, the Pompeii Archeological Park is the one most visited site in Italy. Managing such a vast and complex heritage site requires significant effort to ensure both visitor safety and the preservation of its fragile structures. Accessibility is also crucial, particularly for individuals with disabilities and staff responsible for site management. To address these challenges, integrated systems and advanced technologies like the Internet of Things/Everything (IoT/IoE) can provide innovative solutions. These technologies connect people, smart devices (such as mobile terminals, sensors, and wearables), and data to optimize security, safety, and site management. This paper presents a security/safety IoT/IoE-based system for security, safety, management, and visitor services at the Pompeii Archeological Park. Full article

During Sulla’s siege of Pompeii in 89 BC projectiles were launched using Roman artillery, leaving visible craters on the fortified walls. The city was later buried by the eruption in 79 AD, preserving both its architectural layout and the damaged wall surfaces, and was excavated in the early 20th century. This study focuses on simulating projectile impacts on Grey Tuff to estimate impact velocities and penetration depths, offering insights into the destructive capability of Roman weapons. Material models are developed, followed by finite element analysis. Mesh convergence, velocity calibration, and angular impact studies are performed for both ballista and dart to better understand impact mechanics and crater formation. Full article

Thanks to Pompeii’s burial under Vesuvio’s 79 AD eruption deposits, the ballistic imprints on its northern defensive perimeter are uniquely attributable to Sulla’s siege of 89 BC. These impact marks were digitally documented using integrated survey techniques and custom pipelines. The virtual casts generated—dimensionally accurate, high-resolution surface replicas—serve as key inputs for the reverse-modeling of damage craters, supporting terminal ballistics analyses. Two case studies—a stone projectile cavity and fan-shaped dart impressions—were 3D-printed at 1:1 scale. Prototype casting thus emerges as a cultural asset and rapidly updatable component of a dynamic data ecosystem, inclusive of users with disabilities. Full article

The present work presents and discusses an analysis of the floor types of the Villa of Diomedes (Pompeii archaeological park in the Campania region, Italy) from an architectural, archaeological, and structural point of view. In particular, the geometrical-structural parameters of different floor types and the rules used by ancient builders to design them are investigated by means of interdisciplinary research. The links between structural assumptions, archival sources, geometric survey, in situ visual inspections, and archaeological information make it possible to define the geometrical-structural parameters of eleven barrel vaults, three wooden floors, and three sloped wooden roofs (buried and collapsed during the Vesuvius eruption). A specific study of the barrel vaults is presented to investigate the relationships between the structural parameters of the main vaults. Furthermore, a comparison between the vaults’ dimensions obtained from surveys and those produced by formulations in the literature between the 15th and 20th centuries concerning masonry vault designs is presented and discussed. These analyses, carried out within the framework of the Villa of Diomedes interdisciplinary project, were very useful for interpreting the fabrication of the villa and making a 3D reconstruction model of how the villa probably looked in the fateful year of 79 A.D. Full article

This work documents, for the first time, the calculated oxygen and hydrogen isotope composition of the brines exsolved from the peripheral margin of the active magma alkaline chamber that fed the AD 79 (“Pompei”) eruption of Vesuvius. The exsolved hydrosaline fluids had a constant δ¹⁸O composition and a variable δD composition, showing a general lowering of δD at nearly constant δ¹⁸O content. We argue that the progressive fluid exsolution at the upper peripheral parts of the AD 79 magma chamber may explain this isotopic path. The modeling of the evolution of the hydrogen isotope composition of water remaining dissolved in the melt, and of the exsolved fluid as a consequence of progressive degassing, would favor multiple fluid-release events from the magmatic reservoir. A schematic model on the pulsed accumulation and release of fluids at the top of the magmatic reservoir prior to the eruption is thus proposed. The assessment of the stable isotope composition of the fluids exsolved from the AD 79 magma chamber of Vesuvius may be particularly relevant for the geochemical surveillance of the volcano as it may help to interpret the isotopic composition of fumarolic gases and its variations. Full article

The submarine stratigraphy of the eastern Bay of Naples is studied through seismo-stratigraphic data correlated with borehole data. Multichannel seismic profiles are interpreted in order to reconstruct the stratigraphic relationships between the Quaternary marine seismic units and the volcanic acoustic substratum. Seven seismic units are recognized based on the geological interpretation of seismic profiles and using seismo-stratigraphic criteria. The top of the lowest seismic unit was correlated with the Campanian Ignimbrite (Southern Campania Volcanic Zone). The stratigraphic setting of the eastern Bay of Naples is characterized by NE-SW trending seismic structures, probably corresponding with tuff rings. These tuff rings can be compared with the Porto Miseno, the Archiaverno and Averno, and the Astroni tuff rings (Campi Flegrei). Offshore, the Somma-Vesuvius a seismic unit was interpreted as the fallout deposits representing the base of the AD 79 eruption. However, since a branch of the isopach of 5 m of the “Pomici di Avellino” pyroclastic deposits is very close to the Tyrrhenian coastline and near our GRNA01 and GRNA03 seismic profiles, we cannot exclude that the seismic unit could be also correlated with the deposits of this eruption. Full article

Pompeii Archaeological Park is the best laboratory for the study of the seismic site effects on cultural heritage: the ancient site was destroyed and buried by the 79 AD Vesuvian eruption and, furthermore, it was also affected by the 62–63 AD strong earthquake. Large sectors of the city were reconstructed after this earthquake while other parts were still under reconstruction when the fall-out and pyroclastic density currents of the eruption buried the Roman city. In order to evaluate the distribution of the damage and reconstructions due to the earthquake, detailed mappings of the structures were carried out using multidisciplinary approaches. In addition, analyses of the topographical features, subsoil stratigraphies, and geophysical surveys, responsible for local seismic amplification (site effects), allow us to define the sectors of the ancient city where the Amplification Factors (AFs) were the main ones responsible for damage. Selected areas and examples of compromised and reconstructed buildings show that the ancient topography and subsoil features (both lithological and seismic) are the main AFs. In particular, the damages caused by the 62–63 AD earthquakes seem to be mainly due to topographical factors such as steep scarps and slopes, ridges, peaks, and terraces, as well as to the major thickness of the soft sediments (loose volcanoclastic layers, paleosols, weathered lavas, and anthropogenic infillings) located over the well-lithified lavas. It is not uncommon to also have the combination of these two factors. For the first time, this multidisciplinary approach allows us to draw a seismic microzonation map for one of the most important archaeological sites of the world. Full article

Ochre-based pigments have been employed since the first artistic expressions of mankind, with widespread diffusion during the Roman civilization. Such prominent use influenced their technological development, focused on functional and aesthetic optimization through complex manufacturing procedures. Furthermore, their appearance is also influenced by degradation processes, sometimes driven by natural disasters such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, in which yellow ochres of Vesuvian sites were sometimes converted to red by thermal alteration. In this contribution, a multi-analytical approach was adopted based on preliminary non-invasive investigations complemented by laboratory analyses to characterize the painted surfaces of the tablinum of the House of the Bicentenary (Herculaneum) with a particular focus on the ochre-based monochrome backgrounds. The study was aimed at (a) reconstructing the original color scheme of the walls and (b) deciphering the complex decorative techniques adopted by Roman craftsmen. The analytical results allowed testing and defining analytical procedures for the discrimination between the original and converted red pigments. Furthermore, these studies indicated that specific decorative technologies were adopted according to aesthetic, functional, and economic purposes, including the utilization of various qualities of ochre with different compositional and textural properties, and the mixture of ochre pigments with other compounds. Full article

Vesuvius eruption that destroyed Pompeii in AD 79 represents one of the most important events in history. The cataclysm left behind an abundance of archeological evidence representing a fundamental source of the knowledge we have about ancient Roman material culture and technology. A great number of textiles have been preserved, rarely maintaining traces of their original color, since they are mainly in the mineralized and carbonized state. However, one outstanding textile sample displays a brilliant purple color and traces of gold strips. Since the purple was one of the most exclusive dyes in antiquity, its presence in an important commercial site like Pompeii induces us to deepen the knowledge of such artifacts and provide further information on their history. For this reason, the characterization of the purple color was the main scope of this research, and to deepen the knowledge of such artifacts, the SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering) in solution approach was applied. Then, these data were enriched by HPLC-HRMS analyses, which confirmed SERS-based hypotheses and also allowed to hypothesize the species of the origin mollusk. In this context, a step-by-step integrated approach resulted fundamental to maximize the information content and to provide new data on textile manufacturing and trade in antiquity. Full article

During the excavations carried out in Via di Mercurio (Regio VI, 9, 3) in Pompeii, in 2015, some red, green, black, and brown wall painting fragments were found in the preparatory layer of an ancient pavement which was probably built after the 62 AD earthquake. These fragments, derived from the rubble, were used as coarse aggregate to prepare the mortar for building the pavement. The wall painting fragments are exceptionally well preserved, which is an uncommon occurrence in the city of Pompeii. However, as they were enclosed in the mortar, the wall painting fragments were protected from the high temperatures (probably ranging between 180 °C and 380 °C) produced by the eruption in 79 AD. The pigmented outer surface of each sample was analyzed using a non-destructive multi-analytical approach, by combining spectrophotometric colorimetry and portable X-ray fluorescence with micro-Raman spectroscopy. The compositional characterization of the samples revealed the presence of cuprorivaite, goethite, and celadonite in the green pigments; hematite in the red pigments; goethite in the brown pigment; and charcoal in the black pigment. These data probably provide us with the most “faithful picture” of the various red, green, black, and brown pigments used in Pompeii prior to the 79 AD eruption. Full article