Herculaneum: Past and Future - Softcover

Andrew Wallace-Hadrill

4.51

49 ratings by Goodreads

9780711233898: Herculaneum: Past and Future

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0711233896 ISBN 13: 9780711233898

Publisher: Frances Lincoln, 2012

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In ad 79, the volcano Vesuvius erupted, burying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash and rock, and leaving them remarkably well preserved for centuries. While Pompeii has been extensively written about and popularized, the remains of its sister city, a smaller yet wealthier community close to the sea, are less widely known, but they have yielded spectacular archaeological evidence. This is the first major study of Herculaneum since that of Joseph Jay Deiss, published in 1966 and last revised in 1993. And in any language there have only ever been a handful of books available, mostly guidebooks and exhibition catalogues. Herculaneum is based on the latest excavation work and incorporates much new material that has revolutionized our understanding of the site. The book draws on a decade's work with the Herculaneum Conservation Project which, thanks to the Packard Humanities Institute, has begun to reverse the neglect of previous years which had reduced this extraordinary site to a critical condition. Illustrated with more than 300 newly taken colour photographs and archive illustrations, plus eight spectacular 360-degree panoramas, it is the definitive overview for the general public of what we know and understand about Herculaneum, of what is still unknown and mysterious, and of the potential for future discoveries in both archaeological and political contexts.

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About the Author:

ANDREW WALLACE-HADRILL, OBE, was the Director of the British School at Rome and is now Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He is Director for the Packard Humanities Institute of its Herculaneum Conservation Project. His books include Suetonius: The Scholar and his Caesars (1985), Augustan Rome (1993), Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum (1994) and Rome's Cultural Revolution (2008).

From Publishers Weekly:

Located between Naples and Pompeii, the town of Herculaneum was also destroyed by Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 C.E. This sumptuously illustrated book—including panoramic views stretching across four pages—provides an in-depth geological, architectural, and historical look at what is known about the town and its inhabitants, constituting the first book of its kind since Joseph Jay Deiss's 1966 study. The head of the Herculaneum Conservation Project, Wallace-Hadrill illustrates how its villas and apartments reflect status differences, how the numbers of freed slaves exceeded the freeborn so that Romans "fretted about the excessive number of ex-slaves making their way into citizenship, not unlike European anxieties about illegal immigration." Also included are a history of architectural efforts at Herculaneum, dating back to the early 18th century; a comparison of the city and Pompeii—Herculaneum is portrayed as "a place of greater wealth and sophistication"; and a discussion of conservation efforts. As important as the text are the color photographs of streetscapes, homes, and other buildings, and art (some of the latter seem strikingly modern, such as a silver portrait bust of the Emperor Galba). Perhaps the book's only flaw is the occasional unexplained reference, such as the intriguing "three good luck phalli" found in a bakery. Overall, however, one could hardly ask for a clearer, more comprehensive, and better illustrated guide to Herculaneum. (May)

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