This volume vividly recounts, for general readers, the Roman town of Herculaneum, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and uniquely preserved for nearly two thousand years. Initial chapters offer an engaging historical overview of the town during antiquity, including the riveting story of its rediscovery in the eighteenth century, excavation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and broad cultural significance in modern times.
Subsequent chapters offer an interpretive tour of the ancient town, then focus on one of Herculaneum’s grandest and most
beautifully decorated private residences, known as the House of the Bicentenary. Located on the town’s main street, it has a range of features—original rooms, magnificent wall paintings and mosaics, and remarkable documents—that illuminate daily life in the ancient world.
Final chapters bring the story up to date, including recent discoveries about the site and its famous papyrus manuscripts, as well as ongoing conservation initiatives.
- ISBN10 1606066285
- ISBN13 9781606066287
- Publish Date 11 February 2020
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Getty Trust Publications
- Imprint Getty Publications
- Format Paperback
- Pages 160
- Language English