|
 |
> Features > Pg 2 Feature Stories > A Day in Pompeii
A Day in PompeiiOct. 10, 2011
By Katelyn Gendron
Assistant Managing Editor
BOSTON — The violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 may have obliterated one of ancient Rome’s thriving urban centers, however, its treasures were encased in volcanic ash, preserved until their discovery 1,700 years later.
More than 250 artifacts, including currency, jewelry, frescoes and 10 casts of citizens frozen in their final moments, have traveled from Italy and are currently on display at the Museum of Science.
Upon entry into the exhibition, patrons see a marble statue of Venus, goddess of love, adjacent to a large fresco (painted plaster), which were used, along with statuaries and mosaics, to decorate residences.
Around the corner from Venus is a video installation, which uses computer generated imagery (CGI) to further explain daily life for those of varying economic classes living in Pompeii. What were once time-consuming, labor-intensive processes such as washing and bleaching laundry, baking bread or bathing in a public bathhouse are captured in detail. Viewers come to learn such fun facts as how launderers would collect urine for use as a bleaching agent to whiten clothing.
Additional artifacts such as pottery, makeup cases and yellow gold jewelry — including one bracelet engraved with a dedication from a master to a slave — move museum goers from one video installation to the next, which shows a CGI-created landscape of Pompeii’s final 24 hours. The viewer sees the plaster walls of buildings, the roofs and the golden statues of the city gleam in the morning sunlight on Aug. 24, A.D. 79 and then how quickly the circumstances changed later on in the day as the volcano began to rumble and the sky turned black before it covered the city in a wave of ash.
The next room of the exhibit is one of haunting significance, as the casts of people and animals encapsulate the area. One cast shows a man reaching out to a woman as they died; another depicts a woman holding her robe over her mouth as she struggled to breathe amidst the smoke and ash.
The largest in the group features more than 30 skeletal remains of people killed by volcanic debris in the nearby town of Herculaneum during their attempt to flee the area.
Those who visit the exhibit will also have access to various artifacts that provide a glimpse into Pompeii’s trade, commerce, agriculture and burial practices. Fishhooks and a merchant scale are on display as well as cremation urns, gladiator armor, sculptures of deities and even ancient graffiti.
The final room in the exhibit allows for hands-on experiences with several interactive stations including a tile area to create mosaics, maps illustrating the scope of the world’s volcanoes and their power, as well as the science behind ancient construction practices.
For more information about “A Day in Pompeii” and to purchase tickets, visit www.mos.org.
| |
| |
|
|
