A G: Italy Day 2 - Rome Day 2 Part 1 by Aaron, Herculaneum 赫克兰尼姆

Herculaneum

~ Aaron

Colorful Wall Paintings, Mosaic, and Treasures

Morning walk at Herculaneum

Welcome to the Vesuvian archaeological area, Herculaneum! It is an open-air museum to give people a glimpse into the daily life of the town's ancient inhabitants. The city was built on a volcanic plateau. Herculaneum was named after Hercules. In 79 AD, Herculaneum was buried by Vesuvius. It is in better condition than Pompeii, but not as famous. The boathouse gives a view of how many people died that day in Herculaneum. This was a very interesting place.

The Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD is very famous. It is likely that an earthquake about 20 years before the eruption caused the eruption. Herculaneum was actually one of the the first cities to get covered and destroyed. It was buried too quickly for many of the things inside to deteriorate. Pompeii was covered more slowly, so some things inside have not been preserved. Herculaneum and Pompeii were not the only cities to be destroyed by the eruption, but they are the most famous two. The city looks just like the population just left a few years ago.

Herculaneum seems as if it only aged a few years, but the eruption that destroyed it was over 2000 years ago. Herculaneum was richer than Pompeii, so the homes were fancier than the homes in Pompeii. As in many Roman cities, there is a theater, a basilica, fountains, a temple, baths, and houses. The paintings on the walls are still in color, and the mosaics are still on the floor. All of the pillars are still standing up straight. The stone is still smooth. Almost none of the buildings have fallen apart.

The boathouse is near the exit of the Herculaneum site. It was also where the ancient shoreline used to be. At first sight, over 100 skeletons are in the boathouse. Before the boathouse was found, it was thought that most inhabitants had escaped from the volcano, as the excavation did not turn up many skeletons in other places. About 300 skeletons were found in the boathouses alone. It’s sad thinking about how the people had been waiting for the boats' return to save them when they died.

Herculaneum is a historic place. Vesuvius buried Herculaneum in such deep ash that Herculaneum is well-preserved. Herculaneum is not as crowded as Pompeii, and yet I believe that Herculaneum’s artifacts look better. The boathouse in Herculaneum gives an idea of just how many people couldn’t make it out of Herculaneum. Herculaneum is full of artifacts from ancient Roman times in excellent quality.