Conservation and Reconstruction PDF

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6.0 RECONSTRUCTING THE PAST 6.1 IMPACT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND RESEARCH 6.1.1 IMPACT OF RESEARCH

Name: Estelle Lazer Area of Study: Skeletons (Pompeii) Lady of Oplontis (Epoxy Resin)

Results: • Analysis of Lady of Oplontis and x-rays taken reveals she was 30-40 yrs old, good health (apart from fractured wrist and teeth), 150cm tall, gold bracelet, money purse • Her analysis of around 300 disarticulated skeletons at Pompeii has provided information about common causes of death (asphyxiation, thermal shock, concussion) • Those who died were a mixed group or young/old and male/female • Poor dental health was common

Name: Sara Bisel Area of Study: Skeletons (Herculaneum)

Results: • Bisel studied 139 skeletons in total • Men were on average 169 cm and women on average 155 cm tall • Adults in good health with limited signs of arthritis and excellent teeth • Evidence that some had received medical attention • No evidence of lead poisoning • However, some of her findings regarding the occupations and lives of the people have been criticised

Name: Steven Ellis Area of Study: Thermpolia (Pompeii)

Results: • Identified approx 158 thermopolia spread throughout Pompeii • Often consisted of the following features: • Service counter • Terracotta storage called dolia • Some dolia contained remains of dried food such as lentils • Upper floors may have been living quarters or to be rented out • Cooking hearths close to the service counters

Name: Jaye McKenzieClark Area of Study: Red slip pottery (Pompeii)

Results: • Through the study of thin slices of red slip pottery under a microscope (petrological thin-section analysis) she has determined they came from the Bay of Naples • Previous interpretations had identified this type of pottery as being imported • Reveals that pottery manufacture was an important and long established industry in Pompeii

Name: Mark Robinson Area of Study: Sewers (Herculaneum)

Results: • New information about diet • Reveals that no major differences in diet existed between rich and poor • Evidence of the use of herbs and spices in cooking such as coriander seeds, fennel and black pepper (from India) • Over 100 different food items • 46 different species of fish • 3 different types of eels • Shell fish, Sharks, Rays, Apples, Pears, Figs

Name: Andrew WallaceHadrill Area of Study: Brothels (Pompeii)

Results: • Used 3 main criteria to determine if a building was a brothel or not (masonary beds in small rooms, sexual frescos, sexual graffiti from customers) • Only one purpose built lupanar in Pompeii and 9 single room structures used as brothels • Believes that brothels were ‘zoned’ or kept away from the main streets and public areas

Name: Fabian Kanz Area of Study: 54 Skeletons (Oplontis)

Results: • Two groups (wealthy group and poor group) • Evidence of green discolouring on bones • Evidence of unhealed wound that caused a bone infection • Possible evidence of 2 people with African decent • Evidence of worn down teeth • However, no evidence of any nutritional differences between rich and poor

Name: Penelope Allison Area of Study: 30 Houses (Pompeii)

Results: • Believes there is evidence that the people of Pompeii were aware of the impending eruption and the rich had long departed (probably soon after the AD 62 earthquake) • Ongoing deterioration rather than abrupt departure of inhabitants • Evidence of long term neglect and lack of care in houses • Population not as large as believed

Name: Wilhelmina Jashemski Area of Study: Plants (Pompeii)

Results: • Her study of plaster casts of the cavities left by tree roots, together with pollen analysis provides evidence of the types of fruit and vegetables grown • Popular trees include olive, walnut, almond, pear, apple, fig, cherry and laurel trees • Vegetables grown include, cabbages, onions, garlic, lettuce, asparagus, cucumbers, beans, leeks, radishes, turnips, parsnips and artichokes

Name: Richard Janko Area of Study:

Results: • As director of the Philodemus Project (a project to study the carbonised scrolls from the Villa of the Papryi)

Papyrus scrolls (Herculaneum) • •

Richard has been using multi-spectral imaging to read the scrolls Infrared light seems to reflect the ancient ink most clearly This has allowed the papyri to be digitised and translated into English

6.1.1 IMPACT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES PORTABLE DIGITAL X-RAY MACHINE     

Use of a portable digital x-ray machine on the plaster cast known as the anonymous man Remains are stored in the granary of Pompeii Used to create a 3D reconstruction of what he may have looked like 3D copy created of the skull of a woman found in Herculaneum known as the Bella Dona Also used to create a reconstruction of what she may have looked like

TRANSPARENT EPOXY RESIN    

The Lady of Oplontis was created from a transparent epoxy resin rather than the usual plaster In 1994 her body was CT scanned and x-rayed in Sydney This was the first high-tech examination of a victim from the eruption of Mt Vesuvius The cast nicely demonstrates what is known as the pugilist pose caused by extreme heat

NEW SURVEY TECHNIQUES   

New survey techniques have been carried out in the Suburban baths in Herculaneum using laser scanning equipment Not only does this serve as a fast and accurate survey method but it has the potential to create virtual models of the baths In the future these could be made available online

CT SCANNING, 3D PRINTING, PETROLOGICAL THIN-SECTION ANALYSIS     

Petrological thin-section analysis of red slip pottery, involves studying slices of pottery under a microscope However, the process involves the destruction of the pottery New techniques being used by Jaye McKenzie-Clark, using CT scanners provide a non-destructive analysis of the pottery 3D printing is also being used to create copies of artefacts CT scans are also being used to reveal the internal structures of the scrolls, with the hope of being able to virtually unroll the delicate scrolls

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A team from the University of Texas has created a fully navigable 3D model and reconstruction of the Villa of Poppaea at Oplontis in what is called the Oplontis project o This model accurately records the condition of the villa and provides a digital version of the villa for further study

MULTI-SPECTRAL IMAGING  

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16 different images of each fragment are taken at different light levels to create a readable composite image Infra-red photography and digital multi spectral imaging allows the extraction of information the human eye fails to capture with its receptors for red, green and blue. – used for Papyri scrolls Multi-spectral imaging is being used on carbonised scrolls from the Villa of the Papyri as part of the Philodemus Projec

360 DEGREE IMAGES   

Brian Donovan from the University of Auckland has been using QTVR (QuickTime Virtual Reality) technology to create virtual tours 360º images are also being made available online Brian has also started to create 3D images of artefacts from the Herculaneum antiquarium that holds many of the finds from the site

X-RAY TECHNIQUE FOR READING SCROLLS  

CT scans can reveal the shape of the ancient coiled layers but unable to read them Using a 3D X-ray imaging technique, scrolls could be read o Through the use of a technique called X-ray phase contrast tomography, the scrolls could be read

6.2 CONSERVATION AND RECONSTRUCTION – ITALIAN/INTERNATIONAL CONTRIBUTION  

Conservation: action of safeguarding objects and structures from the past to ensure those remains exist for the future Reconstruction: Any process that contributes to enhancing the visuals of an object or structure

6.2.1 TYPES OF DAMAGE 1. Atmospheric pollution 2. Natural disasters

3. Looting 4. Urban and infrastructural planning 5. Inadequate site management + inadequate conservation 6. Over excavation 7. Exposure to the elements 8. Lack of funding 9. Tourists 10. Vegetation 11. Bird shit – acidic and destroys mosaics. Implemented falcons to chase pigeons  

Vegetation: Roots can enlarge cracks and can also push things off balance causing them to collapse Camera flashes and touching degrades mosaics

6.2.2 IMAPCT OF TOURISM        

More than 3 million tourists visit Pompeii and approx. 500 thousand at Herculaneum Tourists wear down mosaics and street pavements exposing lead pipes causing to crack and break up Human breath and camera flashes deteriorate frescos Items collected as “souvenirs” by tourists Damage caused by tourists entering areas off limits Accidentally damaging frescos with backpacks and leaving rubbish Vandalism by tourists (including graffiti) However, since 1997, all gate proceeds are kept for the management of the sites (this provided a substantial boost to budgets) Note: Further talked about on last page – Dot-point 4 Syllabus

6.2.3 HERCULANEUM CONSERVATION PROJECT 

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Since 2001 the HCP, funded by the Packard Humanities Institute and supported by the British School at Rome, has sought to address some of the most pressing threats to the survival of the site AIM: Stopping any more loss and damage The Director of the HCP, Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, has overseen some of the following conservation works: o Clearing overgrown plants near houses around the ancient beachfront o Stabilising volcanic material around the basilica to stop it from collapsing o Building walkways near the ancient shoreline

Extensive work to clear out the ancient sewer system in order to improve issues of drainage – water build-up every time it rained when conservation team first arrived  Re-opening conduits that drained the individual houses, shops and insulae above  Clearing the area of the original sea front by digging down to the 79 AD level and drilling through volcanic material to the shoreline  Laying down a network of pipes both above and below ground level to drain water away from the site to the Bay of Naples  When clearing the chutes that emptied into the sewers, they found faeces blocking it.  Faeces rich in vegetable fibres  Remains of food items such as egg shells, poppy and fig seeds, olive pits  Items such as broken pottery, bronze objects, bead necklaces o Lots of conservation work on frescoes, using a mixture of volcanic material and lime as a mortar o Researching the degree and conditions of decay of decorative surfaces o Putting back original roofs to better protect houses About 2/3 of the site was in danger of imminent collapse and decorative features had become very fragile Team turned to understanding the root causes of the problems so that instead of repairing the damage, their could limit the damage in the first place. o

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6.2.4 ITALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS o

Partnership between European Union and the Italian government has spent $105 million on the conservation management of the site by December 2015

6.3 ETHICAL ISSUES 6.3.1 STUDY AND DISPLAY OF HUMAN REMAINS o o

One of the most important ethical issues is the handling and disposition of human remains discovered during excavation. Originally, the first skeletons found were considered important in the fact that they were associated with tragic events that happened in the past. – put on display

6.3.2 PLASTER CASTS •

In the late 19th C, it was the Italian archaeologist Guiseppe Fiorelli who created the first plaster casts of victims from Pompeii

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Over time the flesh of these individuals decayed, leaving cavities in the volcanic ash, that once filled with plaster, revealed their imprint

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Every detail, including clothing and the expressions on their faces have been revealed using this technique

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These casts, only made at Pompeii, were created by both Fiorelli and Amedeo Maiuri (using Fiorelli’s original technique)

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Mairui used the technique in 1961 on 13 remains referred to as the Garden of the Fugitives

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These 13 and others (created by Fiorelli) are now in most cases protected from the elements by glass boxes

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PLASTER CAST PROCESS   

Discovered that the bodies had left cavities Located those cavities and injected liquid plaster Once the plaster had hardened, the surrounding soil was removed and the cast was brought to light

6.3.3 HUMAN REMAINS IN HERCULANEUM     

It has not been possible to create plaster casts of the victims from Herculaneum due to the manner of their deaths The remains found at Herculaneum, died due to extreme heat, which burnt right down to their skeletons All skeletons from Herculaneum have been found either on the beach or in the boat sheds next to the beach Those found on the beach were mainly the men, while those found in the boat sheds consisted of men, women and young children Recently, casts of the skeletons have been made so that replicas can be displayed where they were found (this has not yet happened)

WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN TO THE HUMAN REMAINS   

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Ethics can be defined as ‘a system of moral principles by which human actions and proposals may be judged good or bad, right or wrong’ – Louise Zarmati Many ethical issues exist about the display of human remains as many cultures and religions are offended by the examination and display of human remains Many cultures / religions believe that the dead should be allowed to rest in peace o Native Americans, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander Peoples believe that it is taboo to disturb the dead. o We live in an age of political correctness and numerous minority activist groups have vehement opinions. In addition, the location of where the casts are displayed often does not match the original location of the human remains and in some circumstances human remains have been simply left in storage areas Could create replicas to display?

CREATING DRAMA FROM BONES  

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During the late 18th and early 19th centuries it was common for excavators to put on displays for visiting nobility and the public Remains were presented as being ‘in situ’ but were actually arranged for theatrical effect e.g. House of the Surgeon was ‘discovered’ 3 times for royal visitors Amedeo Maiuri adopted a similar approach in the House of the Menander which he excavated from 1926 to 1927 An examination by Dr Estelle Lazer revealed that skeletons had been moved by Maiuri and that a number of the skeletons/skulls had been constructed Some archaeological interpretations of this house suggest that these people were looters who had come back to steal (this is yet another example of attempts to create a dramatic story of events)

THE DISPLAY OF HUMAN BONES  

Ancient Romans believed that for a soul to rest in the afterlife, the body needed a proper burial Clearly with the volcanic eruption this did not happen with these individuals and indeed they have often been treated more as theatre props than as the remains of actual people

CODES OF ETHICS 

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In the last decades of the 20th C, codes of ethics regarding the ownership and display of human remains have been developed by museums, universities and associations of archaeologists In 1982, the Australian Museum Directors passed a resolution banning the display of human remains in public However, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) was not so decisive and even the 2004 ICOM Code of Professional Ethics does not ban the display of human remains but rather encourages sensitivity to community reactions The debate about whether human remains are primarily of scientific or cultural significance is an ongoing debate as skeletons from both cities have been examined to reveal valuable information about the general health of the population and the circumstances of their deaths

6.4 VALUE AND IMPACT OF TOURISM: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS  

About 3 million tourists each year in Pompeii every year Tourism has had a negative impact at Pompeii and Herculaneum o Overcrowding and deliberate/accidental damaging behaviours contribute to the degradation of the sites o Visitors can often be seen sitting and leaning on walls, splashing water in mosaics, touching frescoes and walls

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o Minimal enforcement of the rules and regulation – Italy o Warnings for no flash and no touching are not always given Methods of Management: o Increasing fees o Reducing promotion of “must see” sites o Restricting visiting hours o Developing infrastructure such as better transport to less well known sites Due to some frequent pathways in which tourists walk, there has been degradation on the steps to the Temple of Apollo o Suggested solution is to direct visitors to other nearby sites such as Herculaneum and Oplontis o Management plan: to set visitor quotas for overused parts of the site and themed itineraries for visitors on rotation to ensure coverage of whole site

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