VVAA. Conservazione All'Ombra Del Vesuvio. Ercolano 2003

8/7/2019 VVAA. Conservazione All'Ombra Del Vesuvio. Ercolano 2003

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Summary of the Proceedings and Papers Presented at the Symposium

Conservation in the Shadow of Vesuvius:a Review of Best Practices

Riassunto dei contributi presentati al Simposio

Conservazione allombra del Vesuvio:un esame delle migliori pratiche

Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompein

World Monuments Fundn

Samuel H. Kress Foundation

English italiano


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Preaceby Gaetano PalumboIntroduction to the Symposium by John Stubbs

Sustainable Pompeii - Conservation, Fruition and Designing New Architectural Interventions by Giovanni Longobardi

A Plan or Pompeii: A Computer-Aided Organization o Improvement Projects or a Complex

Archaeological Area by Andrea MandaraCasa dei Postumii (VIII 4, 4.49) and its Insula: Present State and Future Prospects or Conservationand Presentation by Jens-Arne Dickmann & Felix Pirson (in collaboration with Letizia Abbondanza, Corinna Brckener,Janet Haberkorn and Barbara Schick)

The Pompeii Forum Project and the Preservation o the Forum by John Dobbins

Future-Oriented Archaeology in Insula VI,1 at Pompeii: Conservation, Presentation and Research by Rick Jones & Astrid Schoonhoven

A Lightweight Covering System or Protection o Archaeological Sites and Remains:Testing a Prototype or a Newly Excavated Area in Pompeii by Maria Rosaria Motolese

Multimedia System or Visiting Archaeological Excavations in Progress: the COVAR Project by Ernesto Antonini, Giovanni Caliendo, Alessandro Costa

Developing a Design Approach to Roofng the Stabiae Archaeological Site by Thomas Noble HoweThe Insula del Centenario Project by Daniela Scagliarini Corlaita, Sara Santoro, Antonella Coralini

Initial ideas regarding a project or restoring and improving the Casa dellAncora in Pompeiiby Giovanna Spadaora and Fabrizio Pesando

An Introduction to the Herculaneum Conservation Project by Andrew Wallace Hadrill

LHerculaneum Conservation Project by Andrew Wallace-Hadrill

The Herculaneum Conservation Project: Architectural Aspects by Gionata Rizzi

CONTENTS


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Preserving the Decorated Suraces o Herculaneum by Monica Martelli Castaldi

The contribution o the archaeologist to restoration work on the Insula Orientalis I at Herculaneum by Domenico Camardo

Restoring the House o the Vettii in Pompeii: a Question o Method by Maria Grazia Flamini, Steano DAmico, Gabriella Prisco

Conserving archaeological areas: the study case o Ariannas villa in Castellamare di Stabia in theramework o a research programme on protecting shelters or archaeological sites by M.C. Laurenti,A. Altieri, M. Bartolini, C. Cacace, G. Fazio, E. Giani, A. Giovagnoli, M.P. Nugari, S. Ricci, C. Prosperi Porta, M. Citterio

The digital preservation and restoration o PompeiiT he House o C. Iulius Polybiusby Masanori Aoyagi, Claudia Angelelli, Alessandro Furlan, Pietro Galif, Umberto Pappalardo, Steano Moretti

The House o the Silver Wedding Anniversary: the Kress Pompeii Conservation Project by John Stubbs

The History o the House o the Silver Wedding Anniversary by Wolgang Ehrhardt and Fabrizio Pesando

The House o the Silver Wedding Anniversary - Aspects o Construction and Structure by Salvatore dAgostino and Luigi Stendardo

House o the Silver Wedding Anniversary: Survey and Graphic Representationby C. Alvaro, L. Fabiani, M. Necci (Azimut S.a.S)

Preservation o the Decorative Suraces in the House o the Silver Wedding Anniversary by Maria Gabriella De Monte

An ArcheoGis Program or Managing Archaeological Excavations by Vincenzo Sommella

The Casa delle Nozze dArgento A Preliminary, Defnitive and Executive Project or Restoration by Paolo Marconi

Symposium Conclusions

Principles and ideas or the uture

Ideas that Emerged at the WMF Pompeii Symposium

Annex I - Symposium Participants


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Preazione di Gaetano Palumbo

Introduzione al simposio di John Stubbs

Pompei sostenibile. Conservazione, Fruizione e progetto di Architettura di Giovanni Longobardi

Un Piano per Pompei. La pianifcazione assistita dal computer per la ruizione e valorizzazione di unareaarcheologica complessa di Andrea Mandara

La Casa dei Postumii (VIII 4, 4.49) e la sua Insula: stato di atto e prospettive uture di conservazione epresentazione di Jens-Arne Dickmann & Felix Pirson (in collaborazione con Letizia Abbondanza, Corinna Brckener,Janet Haberkorn e Barbara Schick)

Il progetto Pompeii Forum e la conservazione del oro di John Dobbins

Archeologia orientata al uturo nellInsula VI,1 a Pompei: Conservazione, Presentazione e Ricercadi Rick Jones & Astrid Schoonhoven

Sistema di copertura a struttura leggera per la protezione di siti e reperti archeologici. Ricerca esperimentazione di un prototipo in una zona di scavi recenti a Pompei di Maria Rosaria Motolese

Sistema Multimediale per la Visita e la Fruizione degli Scavi Archeologici in Corso: Il Progetto COVARdi Ernesto Antonini, Giovanni Caliendo, Alessandro Costa

Lo sviluppo di un approccio progettuale per la copertura del sito archeologico di Stabiae

di Thomas Noble Howe

Il progetto Insula del Centenario di Daniela Scagliarini Corlaita, Sara Santoro, Antonella Coralini

Prime ipotesi per un progetto di recupero e valorizzazione della Casa dellAncora a Pompei di Giovanna Spadaora

Unintroduzione all Hercolaneum Conservation Project di Andrew Wallace Hadrill

LHerculaneum Conservation Project di Andrew Wallace-Hadrill

Herculaneum Conservation Project: aspetti architettonici di Gionata Rizzi

INDICE


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La conservazione delle superfci architettoniche decorate a cura di Monica Martelli Castaldi

Lapporto dellarcheologo ai lavori di restauro dellInsula Orientalis I di Ercolan,o a cura di Domenico Camardo

Il restauro della casa dei Vettii in Pompei: questioni di metodo,di Maria Grazia Flamini, Steano DAmico, Gabriella Prisco

La conservazione delle aree archeologiche: il caso della villa di Arianna a Castellammare di Stabia

nellambito del progetto di ricerca sulle coperture di protezione delle aree archeologiche, di M.C. Laurenti, A. Altieri, M. Bartolini, C. Cacace, G. Fazio, E. Giani, A. Giovagnoli, M.P. Nugari, S. Ricci, C. Prosperi Porta, M. Citterio

La preservazione digitale e il restauro di pompei. La casa di C. Iulius Polybius,di Masanori Aoyagi, Claudia Angelelli, Alessandro Furlan, Pietro Galif, Steano Moretti

La Casa delle Nozze DArgento: Il Kress Pompeii Conservation Project, di John Stubbs

La storia della Casa delle Nozze DArgento, di Wolgang Ehrhardt e Fabrizio Pesando

La Casa delle Nozze DArgento Aspetti costruttivi e strutturali, di Luigi Stendardo

La Casa delle Nozze DArgento: Rilievo e rappresentazione grafca di C.Alvaro, L.Fabiani, M.Necci (Azimut S.a.S.)

Preservazione delle superfci decorate nella Casa delle Nozze DArgento, di Maria Gabriella De Monte

Un programma ArcheoGis per gestire gli scavi archeologici, di Vincenzo Sommella

Pompei - La Casa delle Nozze dArgento: Progetto preliminare, defnitivo ed esecutivo di restaurodi Paolo Marconi

Conclusioni del simposio

Principi e idee per il uturo

Idee emerse al Simposio

Appendice I Partecipanti al simposio


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Preaceby Gaetano Palumbo

W

hen WMF decided to sponsor the symposium,Conservation in the Shadow o Vesuvius, the

idea was to bring together the wide range

o proessionals who have been involved inarchaeological conservation at the ancient Roman seaside

resort o Pompeii as well as numerous other archaeologicalsites in the Vesuvius area. All o these sites share not only

conservation challenges, but issues regarding site manage-ment, urban development pressures, uncontrolled tourism,

and site interpretation. Thereore, in addition to the archae-ological institutions, WMF chose to include representativesrom diverse elds, including architecture, conservation, ur-

ban planning, inrastructure engineering, inormation man-agement, and virtual reality technology.

WMF convened the meeting in hopes that scholars roma wide range o disciplines would be able to share the results

o their latest planning and conservation projects, and pres-ent solutions that have been or are being considered orimplementation. It is our sincere hope that more and closer

collaboration between these allied elds and the Soprinten-denza Archeologica di Pompei is the result.

The impetus or the symposium was a project o the Sam-uel H. Kress Foundation and the World Monuments Fund to

explore a comprehensive strategy or the preservation and

presentation o Insula V2 and its most important domus, theCasa delle Nozze dArgento, or House o the Silver Wedding

Anniversary, and the desire to place this project within thecontext o other conservation eorts in the Pompeii area.

Since 1996, the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompeihas been actively collaborating with a number o universites

and international archaeological schools. Today, twenty suchinstitutions are conducting archaeological research in thearea, providing students with unique opportunities or learn-

ing about and contributing to the knowledge and apprecia-tion o ancient Roman society.

The roundtable and general discussion at the end othe symposium provided an opportunity or all to compare

and exchange experiences, views and ideas regarding bestpractices and, more importantly, to suggest a series o ideasand principles toward the common goal o preserving this

extraordinary group o archaeological sites or a third mil-lennium.

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F

rom November 20 to 23, 2003, the SoprintendenzaArcheologica di Pompei and the World Monuments

Fund (WMF), with support rom the Samuel H.

Kress Foundation, held a symposium, Conserva-tion at Pompeii and Other Sites in the Shadow o Vesuvius:

a Review o Best Practices, at which a group o distinguishedarchaeologists, historians, architects, engineers, administra-

tors, and experts in the diverse eld o conservation had anopportunity report on and discuss recent and ongoing proj-

ects.This symposium provided a very special, and, to judge

rom the reactions o so many o the participants, a valu-

able and welcome opportunity to compare notes and reectupon the accomplishments, trends and new directions, and,

o course, the many problems still acing all players in theclosely interrelated elds involved in the conservation and

management o one o the worlds most signicant archaeo-logical sites.

Much excellent conservation work has been carried out in

recent years by the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro at someo Pompeiis more important buildings and by the Soprinten-

denza Archeologica di Pompei ed Ercolano throughout theregion, and by numerous local and oreign institutions, many

o whose representatives attended the symposium. Sincethe discovery o Pompeii and Herculaneum two-and-a-halcenturies ago, and especially in recent times, there has also

been much excellent archaeological, scientic and historicalwork carried out on the remains o the Romans and their

predecessors in the region as well. The SoprintendenzaArcheologica di Pompei ed Ercolanoits administrators,

experts, guards, and maintenance peoplehave done theirbest to conserve and eature these unique places, be theyoutlying villas, tombs and other structures in the region, or

entire insulae; even whole districts within ancient Pompeiiand Herculaneum.

Through such initiatives these institutions have donemuch to teach the world about these amous places and the

Roman way o lie in the 1st century AD., Yet, much remainsto be done to eectively conserve and present more o thearchitectural and archaeological abric o these places. All o

those present in Pompeii or the symposium were only too

aware that, at least on a micro level, the exposed architec-tural abric o these sites is wearing away with every passingyear despite current eorts to preserve it. Today, there are

an unprecedented number o technical, methodological, andnancial tools at our disposal to conserve sites such as Pom-

peii. The challenge, is to nd a way to do better, to harness

the tools and methods available, and to win the race againsttime to preserve these precious icons o world history and

culture.WMF rst became involved at Pompeii when the site was

nominated to WMFs 1996 Watch list o 100 Most Endan-gered Sites. In act, Pompeii has been listed three times on

the biennial list. The nominator o the site, the Soprinten-denza Archeologica di Pompei ed Ercolano, made the casethat new ways were needed to access the problems o Pom-

peii and asked that WMF support a computerized geo-re-erenced database that mapped the building types and con-

ditions at Pompeii as a tool or conservation planning andsite display. Two generous grants rom the American Express

Company made through the Watch program allowed or thecreation o this database, known as Un Piano per Pompei.This powerul new documentation and planning tool is the

subject o the rst two papers presented.An important part o the Un Piano per Pompei, particular-

ly or the World Monuments Fund, was a pilot conservationproject at the tomb o Vestorio Prisco, located just outside

the Vesuvian gate, that allowed this new international collab-orative to begin to apply lessons learned and theory to prac-tice. Based on the success o these operations rom 1996

through 1999, a more ambitious planning and conservationprogram was launched by WMF. Known as the Kress Pom-

peii Conservation Project, it sought to examine and draw upconservation plans or an entire insulainsula 2 in regio V.

This project was generously supported over a three-year pe-riod by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation o New York.

In keeping with the requests o the Soprintendenza, a

large team o experts was assembled to address these issuesby ocusing mainly on the House o the Silver Wedding An-

niversary. We hope that the results o this intensive planningstudy, presented and discussed during the Symposium and

recorded in this Summary, will stimulate constructive andruitul discussion o its quite dierent approach to the chal-lenge o preserving and presenting an archaeological site.

Finally, a word about what the World Monuments Fund,

the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the Soprintendenzaexpect rom this Symposium. We hoped, in the rst instance,that ater having observed the conservation issues and the

Introduction to the Symposiumby John H. Stubbs

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examples o best conservation practices presented during

the meetings and site visits, and ater having participatedin the roundtable and general discussion, we would be able

to agree upon an open list o proven solutions and mostpromising directions in archaeological conservation to be

pursued in the Vesuvian region and indeed elsewhere. Thepresent Summary o the papers given and the open list o

conclusions and recommendations, or ideas and principles,

developed during the course o the Symposium provides anopportunity to urther dene best conservation practices,

both current and uture.In closing, I would like to thank Pro. Pietro Giovanni Guz-

zo and his oce that has served as such a generous and kindpartner to WMF over the past several years, and whose wise

guidance has been valued by all. I would like to thank the

Samuel H. Kress Foundation, who made the Kress Pompeii

Conservation Project possible, and whose dedicated ocersmake it the most actively interested oundation o its kind

at Pompeii. Finally, I must thank Gaetano Palumbo, Directoro Archaeological Conservation or the World Monuments

Fund in Paris, or his and his stas hard work in organizingthe conerence.

On behal o the World Monuments Fund in New York,

I wish each and every one o the participants in all their di-verse disciplines every success in their pursuit o new solu-

tions and the exchange o best practices toward the con-servation o the archaeological sites in the shadow o Mt.

Vesuvius.


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Un Piano per Pompei (A Plan For Pompeii) was the

title o an interdisciplinary project undertaken bythe Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei in

1997, made possible due to initial resources pro-vided by the World Monuments Fund. Completed in 2002,

the projects aim was to draw up a technical instrument thatcould subsequently be used to manage the many activitiesthat contribute to the main objective o preserving Pom-

peii.Our hypothesis, based on the experience gained during

the years we spent working in Pompeii, is that conservationcan only be really eective i it is anked by parallel design

activities that involve modication and change.Conservation and change are, according to this perspec-

tive, two sides o the same activity: that o project devel-

opment. In Pompeii, the project has been developed withsustainability in mind, hence the denition o Sustainable

Pompeii. This meant coming up with a viable developmentplan so that Pompeii may continue to be used by millions

o visitors in the uturethereby ullling its cultural role intodays society, while at the same time, its material aspectsmay be conserved, and in some instances even revitalized,

so that it may survive well into the uture.This meant looking at a bigger picture than the one nor-

mally considered by archaeologists; in other words, we exam-

ined subjects such as changes in the surrounding landscape,

and carried out a detailed study o tourists movements andpatterns o visitation that have changed signicantly over

the last 25 years.From this broader perspective, the problem o conserv-

ing Pompeii becomes more complicated because o the in-teractions o external actors, which have a direct impacton the site and whose eects must be properly evaluated.

A Plan or Pompeii has thereore resulted in a projectthat aims to reconsider the relationship between the ar-

chaeological site and the contemporary city that has grownup around it, in an attempt to connect the elements o these

two entities that, in 250 years o Pompeiis modern history,did not have the chance to develop links.

The project is already being implemented with the open-

ing o a new entrance or visitors, more or less halway be-tween the two existing ones. This entails making use o a large

green area (abandoned during the last twenty years) that willact as a link between the ancient and the modern towns.

From a supercial point o view, the site will gain a newidentity, but this should not be seen as the only eect othis intervention: the central location o this new entrance

reduces the distance between the two towns and createsan ideal opening in the archaeological boundary where past

and present meet and mingle as complementary spaces.

Sustainable Pompeii -Conservation, Fruition and DesigningNew Architectural Interventionsby Giovanni Longobardi

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To preserve Pompeii is in itsel a very ambitious objec-

tive, one that so ar has never really been achieved.It is not a small site, measuring roughly 67 hectares,

and it is characterized by a somewhat ragile urbanabric which varies not only according to construction era

but also according to the dierent methodologies used orits excavation and restoration. The particular type o burialthat makes Pompeii unique has preserved a vast quantity o

objects in many dierent categories, each o which requiresspecial treatment and care.

In 1997, during the projects rst phase it became clear im-mediately that the issues to be addressed would have to be

divided into two categories: on the one hand, there was theneed to study the characteristics o the deterioration, pinpointthe parameters or analysis, as well as map and quantiy these.

On the other hand, there was the problem o understanding indetail the causes o deterioration, more or less remote in time.

A schematic comparison o the present situation with that othe 1950s showed a marked decline, both in the condition o

the buildings and the quality o services provided or visitors.During the planning process, we dealt with two types o

basic questions (working within a GIS environment).

First o all, we addressed the need to establish the physi-

cal extent o Pompeii and the number o objects on the site.This meant quantiying the cultural assets o Pompeii and

establishing a rm base rom which uture measurementscould be made. We studied several categories o signicant

items in order to evaluate the overall condition o the urbanabric: 242,000 m2 o wall surace, 17,000 m2 o wall paint-ings, 20,000 m2 o plaster, 12,000 m2 o oors, and 20,000

m2 o protective coverings. The gures alone give an elo-quent picture o the vast scale o the work to be carried out

in Pompeii.Secondly, we evaluated the integrity and the state o con-

servation o the materials, using suitable indicators. Expertsin various disciplines conducted a series o investigations,area by area, over a period o six months, enabling us to

produce detailed maps o the state o conservation o thevarious items across the entire site. A GIS system was used

to gather and continuously update the inormation, as wellas details o all the planning and management activities in

Pompeii. This data made it possible to represent the variousdegrees o risk, and thereore to provide dynamic supportor planning the actions to be taken.

A Plan or Pompeii: A Computer-AidedOrganization o Improvement Projectsor a Complex Archaeological Areaby Andrea Mandara

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The archaeological research in the Casa dei Pos-tumii and its surroundings was executed as a joint

research project o the German Archaeological In-stitute, Rome, and the Bavarian Academy o Scienc-

es. While this work was completed in 2002, studies aboutthe long-term protection o the site and its interpretation(musealizzazione) have not yet been conducted. The conser-

vation o Cubiculum 5 was sponsored by Studiosus Reisen,Munich.

Cubiculum 5, on the west side o the atrium, is the onlyroom in the house that has preserved its decoration airly

intact. In 1997, it showed all the signs o the repeated quickand preliminary repairs undertaken since its excavation in1860. First o all, the conservation program called or the re-

duction o humidity inside the walls, the prevention o largeareas o plaster becoming detached rom the walls and the

urther deterioration o the colored coating o the rescoes.The three most important aspects o our agenda were to

make sure o the total reversibility o all techniques and ma-terials applied, second, avoid any work that could cause ur-ther damage to the decoration, and, third, to create a more

homogeneous impression or the modern viewer.A major result o our work is that the room can now be

appreciated as an aesthetic whole. Consequently, the smallDionysian pictures are recognizable as part o a particular

spatial concept, reecting the need or a certain standard oliving and representation in the Casa dei Postumii.

The protective rooThe starting point or the development o a protective

roo or the Casa dei Postumii was the need to cover Cubic-ulum 5 and its reshly-conserved decoration. As the design

o the roo is based on a modular structure, the roo can beexpanded in uture. In addition to the need or a modularstructure, the ollowing principles determined the design o

the protective cover:n complete reversibility,

n no use o ancient walls as support or modernconstruction,

n no re-mortaring o ancient masonry,n no reconstruction o any kind,

n a roo as a light ceiling such as used in modern

museums,n a relatively at surace, and

n a minimum number o steel pillars.The general conviction behind theses principles is that an

archaeological monument should be preserved as much aspossible without altering its original archaeological state. Aclear and comprehensible interpretation o the archaeologi-

cal monument or the modern visitor should be achieved viaother media, such as explanatory panels and audio- or vid-

eo-guides, rather than permanent reconstructions, as theserender contemporary scholarly views absolute and deprive

subsequent generations o the chance to study the monu-ment with new questions and methods.

Casa dei Postumii (VIII 4, 4.49) and itsInsula: Present State and Future Prospectsor Conservation and Presentationby Jens-Arne Dickmann & Felix Pirson (in collaboration with Letizia Abbondanza,

Corinna Brckener, Janet Haberkorn and Barbara Schick)

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The aesthetic impact o the new modular roo is aston-

ishingly light, particularly in comparison with the seeminglymore original roos made o tiles. However, any construction,

including the roo proposed here, must be tested, in order toestablish its suitability or a site as dicult as Pompeii. But

we are convinced that it is worth trying dierent solutions,as waiting or so-called ideal solutions will inevitably lead to

urther decay. And decay, in the end, is not reversible.

Ideas or the musealizzazione, orinterpretation o the Casa dei Postumii

A closer look at the city plan o Pompeii shows the obvi-

ous central position o the Casa dei Postumii. In addition,the Stabian Baths and the Foro Triangolare with the theatre

and the amous lupanare make the area one o the most in-tensely visited parts o Pompeii. Hence there is a signicantneed or an architectural complex in this part o Pompeii,

which can provide insights into various aspects o Romanlie, housing and production.

This need could be satised in part by re-opening theCasa dei Postumii to the public. The recommended interpre-

tation o the house ocuses on three major aspects: rst, thespatial structure o the house and the neighboring buildings,including shops, workshops, upper oor apartments and the

atrium-peristyle house. Second, the interpretative materials

should explain the history o the Casa dei Postumii in rela-

tion to the surrounding area between the old town centerand the more regular blocks to the East. Inormation about

the possible remains o the ortications o this nuclear set-tlement could be related to the recently established path

along the outer city-walls. Finally, traces o a small peristyleo the late-3rd or early-2nd century BC oer insights into the

long history o the house and its various layers.

The third aspect to be interpreted relates to the Casa deiPostumii as an important source on the history o archae-

ology at Pompeii. Initially excavated and documented byGiuseppe Fiorelli, it became one o Pompeiis most amous

show-houses, beore gradually alling into oblivion. Some 150years ater its excavation, the Casa dei Postumii has been

completely re-evaluated, with the application o 21st centuryarchaeological methods and historic questioning.

The Casa dei Postumii could encourage modern visitors to

orm their own ideas and interpretations. A comparison withthe contemporary urban situation in Naples, or instance,

might tell them great deal about the unctions o ancient(and modern) neighborhoods. And this kind o interpretive

tool would give the visitor a richer and more proound ex-perience than the usual mixture o memento mori, sex andviolence which inevitably is oisted upon todays visitors by

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The Pompeii Forum Project is not a conservation proj-

ect per se, but its practices are inherently conserva-tion-oriented in that they strive to preserve data.

Non-invasive, or minimally invasive, procedures re-spect the ragility o the site, and the subsurace remains,

and the right o uture archaeologists to excavate here. Thepaper discusses close observation, the CAD model, the

analysis o relationships among urban components, magne-tometry, small tests (saggi) to answer specic questions, andthe problems o collecting and preserving digital data.

Proposals and suggestionsWe would like to recommend:1. That we at this conerence propose a one-hundred-year

moratorium on large-scale digs in the un-excavated areaso Pompeii.

2. That or the next century archaeologists ocus on the

documentation, analysis, excavation, interpretation, andpreservation o the already-excavated remains. These

approaches constitute the current best practices.3. That many insulae be reburied with lapilli to protect

them rom vegetal growth, weather, earthquakes andvolcanic eruptions.

In the realm o presentation there are many possibilities:(1) didactic inormation in several languages as one nds, or

example, at Fishbourne in England; (2) a corps o trained andknowledgeable docents stationed in key buildings and at

important locations to explain the history and signicanceo the remains; (3) inexpensive, accurate, and useul written

materials that visitors can purchase as they enter the site;

(4) an inormative web site that visitors can consult as theyprepare their trips. And nally, (5) a radical proposal, namely

that a house, or an entire insula, be devoted to historical rec-reations o the type that one nds at Colonial Williamsburg

in Virginia in the United States. At the colonial-period capi-tol o Virginia, the 18th century is recreated through architec-

ture, daily lie activities and didactic explanations by stamembers in costume, and crat production using the sametools and techniques as those o the 18th century.

The Pompeii Forum ProjectFundamentally, we are not a project that digs. We are a

project that looks, records, analyzes, and draws conclusions.

In the course o our research we have discovered that thereis a rich harvest o data to be gathered in the orum sim-ply by looking and, especially, careul measuring. Our work

is presented under the ollowing headings: Looking Closely,Harvesting Data, Drawing Conclusions; Analysis o Relation-

ships among the Urban Components; Magnetometry; SmallSaggi to Answer Specic Questions; and Preservation o

Digital Data.

ConclusionIn sum, our investigations have been minimally invasive

archaeologically, but the wealth o data collected has led to

conclusions pertaining to three important periods in the lieo the orum. The preservation o the orum buildings that

tell such an important story o the organic growth o the cityshould be high on our list o preservation priorities.

The Pompeii Forum Projectand the Preservation o the Forumby John Dobbins

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Our work is based on the conviction that it is es-sential to take a comprehensive view o the an-

cient city, making appropriate measures to pre-serve the homes o the humble as well as the

artwork that embellished the mansions o the powerul. Akey contribution to securing a sustainable uture or the sitewill be convincing visitors o its excitement and importance

by communicating to them the ull richness o Pompeiis sto-ry. We, as members o the international conservation com-

munity, are honored to assist the Soprintendenza Archeo-logica di Pompei in achieving these aims.

Insula VI, 1 is a microcosm o Pompeii. It represents arange o properties rom the grand house to the humblebar. It was exposed in the rst phases o exploration and so

shows the eects o more than two centuries o changingattitudes to conservation and presentation. Since 1994 it has

been intensively studied by the Anglo-American Project inPompeii, based at the University o Bradord, in a program

o excavation and recording o the standing buildings that isunequalled in its comprehensiveness. The eld research isscheduled or completion in 2006. We are now seeking to

address the linked problems o conservation o the monu-ment and presentation o our ndings to the widest possible

public, as well as the scientic analysis o our eldwork re-sults. To this end we ormed The Pompeii Trust, registered

as a charity in the UK in 2002. The Trust also has an agree-ment with a not-or-prot oundation, the Foundation or thePreservation o the Archaeological Heritage, so that it can

receive tax-riendly donations rom the USA.From the beginning the eld research considered the

complete city block, in order to shit emphasis away rom thelong-standing concentration on the elite o Pompeii towards

the lives o the whole urban community. This is expressed inour commitment to understanding the people who workedin the city and made the city work. Pompeii is special be-

cause the particular circumstances o its destruction have

let us with a place that was home to a whole community.O all the great monuments o the world, it is peculiarly ac-cessible to the visitor as a place o common humanity, not a

spectacular memorial to a powerul ruler.In practical terms, the AAPP eld research is document-

ing all the standing walls through photography and analyticaldrawings. These are integrated into an AutoCAD archive. We

have excavated wherever the oors o AD79 have erodedaway. Stratigraphic excavation has yielded more than the de-

tailed structural sequence o activities over our centuries.Through an intensive recovery policy we have produced avery ull archive o artiacts and o bio-archaeological evi-

dence, including mammal and sh bones, plant macroos-sils, phytoliths, mollusca, and eggshells. The results o this

integrated multidisciplinary research create a complex pic-ture o the changing lives o rich and poor within the city

block, which goes ar beyond the impression gained by mostvisitors to the site. We can show how the people lived whomade the city work. We seek to include this richly textured

inormation in our uture presentation to the public.However, the essential ramework or any presentation

has to be the standing monument itsel. The AAPP documen-tation o the buildings o Insula VI,1 has revealed all the amil-

iar problems o the city as a whole, rom the loss o details opainted decoration through to the inadequate roong pro-vided or parts o the block in the 1970s. We commissioned a

Conservation Plan or the insula rom Academy Projects oLondon. This has so ar provided an outline o a costed pro-

gram o necessary works to consolidate the buildings, butneeds urther investment to produce a ull prescription or

necessary works throughout the insula.

We are thereore at the stage where we have:

n documented ully a complete block o the city,n discovered a remarkable story about the lives o poor

and rich Pompeians,n created legal entities through which we can raise unds

in the UK and USA, andn developed a program or conservation.

We are now at the critical stage where we must raise unds

to bring these achievements to ruition. The next steps willalso involve close co-operation with the Soprintendenza towork out how to implement the conservation work and how

to communicate our research ndings to visitors through ap-propriate on-site presentation.

Future-Oriented Archaeologyin Insula VI,1 at Pompeii: Conservation,Presentation and Researchby Rick Jones & Astrid Schoonhoven

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n o a modular design so that base plates can becombined: the system's basic module (distance between

supports) is about 3 meters, a multiple o the averagemeasurement in ancient structures, which makes iteasier to assemble in various combinations to eectively

cover the archaeological remains.n a system o slim modules, made with high quality

materials: aluminum or the main structure, toughenedglass or the covering, and special solutions or linking

elements, such as hidden stainless steel bolts or beamsand supports, and stainless steel hinges or glass panels.

n equipped with walkways or visitors, and verticalclosures or internal partitions, making them even moreexible.

This Open System provides a basic design solution orsheltering archaeological sites; it is a system that can adapt

to individual circumstances, and be modied to create astructure specically designed or the needs o a given site.

The CORARC System PrototypeThe CORARC prototype has been designed keeping in

mind the specic characteristics o the site o Pompeii: onone side, the oundation plinths o its ballasted supports are

interred without interering with the site, and on the otherside, they lean on a protective surace on the existing coc-ciopesto. The system does not alter the eect o sunlight

on the site and the archaeological remains, because all itssuraces (roo, external and internal walls) are made with

transparent glass. An aluminium gangway allows visitors toview the mouldings rom above; the gangway is positioned

between an external vertical opening and an internal parti-tion, which are made o structural glass to ensure the saetyo both visitors and archaeology.

ConclusionsThe realized prototype is an experimental example oadapting the CORARC open system to protect the mould-

ings o a group o ugitives near Stabianus house (NuoviScavi di Pompei), which were let on their original site orthe rst time by the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pom-

pei. The prototypes innovative characteristics allowed it tobe modied to properly shelter the site, and its protective

eatures made it possible to open the site to visitors.

A Lightweight Covering Systemor Protection o Archaeological Sitesand Remains: Testing a Prototype or

a Newly Excavated Area in Pompeiiby Maria Rosaria Motolese

The I.C.I.E.1 Institute has been responsible or coordi-nating and conducting research activities within the

CORARC2 and COVAR3 consortia, which were setup as part o the Ministry or Universities, Scientic

Research and Technology (MIUR) National Program o Re-

search and Training in Cultural and Environmental Heritage,to study methodologies and technologies or the manage-

ment and use o archaeological sites. Research activitiesconducted by the two consortia ollowed the path set out by

MIUR, producing results that were applied experimentally inan area o new excavations at Pompeii and at the Villa deiPapiri in Herculaneum.

Previous structure covering the site

Methodology and project defnitionThe CORARC consortiums research resulted in the pro-

duction and testing o a new system o components or the

construction o lightweight structures or the protection oarchaeological sites and remains. The MIUR technical spec-ications require that the protective system should be:

n non-intrusive, with respect to the archaeological remainsit protects, as well as stable and sel-standing.

n a versatile and reversible system; completely removablewithout damage to the site, with dimensions that can be

enlarged to t the requirements o the site using othercomponents or modules

n adaptable to the needs o the site, so that it can beenlarged horizontally according to the size and positiono the base plates, and vertically with a system o

variable vertical supports

1 ICIE cooperative institute or technological innovation and transerset up in 1972 to promote, coordinate and realize projects or appliedresearch and technological innovation o products and processes,developed in cooperation with companies, universities and nationaland international research centers.

2 CORARC consortium rms ISMES & MUCAFER. Coordination: ICIE& CREA. Scientic responsibility: Soprintendenza Archeologica diPompei.

3 Consortium or Archaeological Evaluation.

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The COVAR project is unded by the Ministry orUniversities, Scientic Research and Technology

(MIUR). Entitled Advanced systems or ruition oarchaeological sites that are subject to particular

restraints, the projects aim is to develop procedures andinstruments to support visitation and improve the manage-ment o archaeological sites that have excavations in prog-

ress (Module 1), and are characterized by the presence orescoes (Module 2).

Current research is conducted by COVAR, set up by theCooperative Consortium or Construction (CCC), Pierreci,

and Elemond. For Module 1sites with excavations in prog-ressthe Cooperative Institute or Innovation (ICIE) was incharge o coordinating the realization o the ollowing two

basic systems on behal o the CCC:n a multimedia exploration system or virtual tours o arch-

aeological excavations in progress, destined or end-usersn a support system or decisions relating to the

preliminary study and development o excavation areas,destined or organizations and local authorities.

Example o site documentation

FruitionTo enable people to visit archaeological sites with exca-

vations in progress, it is not sucient just to provide sae ac-

cess while protecting the remains. The visitors experienceshould be enhanced with inormation that enables them to

understand what they are looking at. The site must thereorebe viewable and legible at the same time.

In order to make an open archaeological site legible, theremust be a system in place that provides two categories o in-

ormation: the rst relating to the excavations (the nds, thelogbook) and the second concerning the context (places, ob-

jects, people, events). In other words, there should be readyaccess to inormation that puts the excavation into its histor-ical and environmental context. Under the COVAR system,

inormation is organized under dierent subject headings;each subject is put together in a single ormat, and consti-

tutes a Basic Inormation Unit (UIB).

Home page COVAR System or multimedia exploring

Each UIB consists o a multimedia story package, with abrie text, one or more images (2D, 3D or video), and an audio

passage. The UIB deals with a complete subject and has a se-ries o attributes which users can select, thereby interact-ing with the system. The attributes o a UIB are divided into

six categories which make it possible to search under the ol-lowing headings: who, what, where, when, how, and why.

Each UIB can be linked to others that have one or moreo the parameters in common. The system is thus arranged

as a series o links between single items o inormation, lead-ing to a uent narration based on several logical chains. Thisapproach attempts to reproduce what takes place during

relational processes in human logic: the added value o this

approach lies in the attempt to imitate, as well as in thewealth o inormation available and the users reedom tomove among the possible logical connections.

Towards a new concept o ruitionThe current research project sets out to explore some o

the new aspects related to the concept o ruition, using cur-rent IT systems. The relationship between users and ruition

is no longer passive, but makes use o continuous interaction.This is driven by the extent o the visitors curiosity, which can

be stretched thanks to the amount o inormation containedin the system and the range o combinations available.

Multimedia System or VisitingArchaeological Excavations in Progress:the COVAR Project

by Ernesto Antonini, Giovanni Caliendo, Alessandro Costa

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The Restoring Ancient Stabiae project (RAS) is an

ambitious undertaking to establish a major archaeo-logical park on the site o the partially excavated

villas o ancient Stabiae. The ocus o the park willbe to present the senatorial and equestrian villa culture o

the Bay o Naples. The park will unction in tandem with theurban sites o Pompeii and Herculaneum and the rustic villa

o Boscoreale.

The masterplan (RAS Foundation)

The project was created through an unusual invitationrom the Superintendant o Pompeii to the University oMaryland Faculty o Architecture in 1998, and later extend-

ed to the American Academy in Rome. It is now an indepen-

dent oundation in Italy whose governing board (consigliodamministrazione) consists o representatives rom the So-printendenza, the Comitato di Stabiae Renatae (represent-

ing local schools and business interests) and the Faculty oArchitecture o the University o Maryland. The Foundationwas created with the capability to seek and expend both EU

and oreign private unds (mainly rom USA). It is the Foun-dations responsibility to develop a coherent series o ar-

chaeological and architectural projects and present them tothe Soprintendenza. A Master Plan was presented in 2001,

and the rst excavations and constructions were scheduledto begin soon thereater.

The Stabiae villas were rooed soon ater their initial re-

excavation in the 1950s and 1960s, which contributed consid-erably to the preservation o the site. The 1980 earthquake

destroyed many modern roos and ancient colonnades, andprovisional roong has been put up since. Recent testing and

an experimental roo has been constructed with the supporto ENEA (Italian National Agency or New Technologies, En-

ergy and the Environment).The Master Plan stipulated a design ap-

proach or all new structures on the sitea

visitor center, administrative oces as wellas the roong o the sites properthat

would make all new structures appearlightweight and temporary and thereore

allow the Roman architectural remains todominate the experience o the site.

The Master Plan stipulates urther that

the roong or the villas meet three con-ditions: it calls or the development o a

type o roong which is more eective inpreserving this type o site than anything

that has come beore, and it must suggestthe spatial and light conditions o the origi-nal villas. The roong o the Stabiae villas

present an additional design challenge asthe villas with their new roong may be-

come one o the most prominent eatureso the cityscape o Castellammare di Sta-

bia. In addition to the rst two conditions,thereore, the roong must be eective asa major urban monument in the cityscape

o Castellammare.

Representation o one o the views ater the completion o the

Master Plan

Developing a Design Approach toRoofng the Stabiae Archaeological Siteby Thomas Noble Howe

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The Stabiae project, with the help o MaryAnn Thompson

Architects, (Cambridge MA, USA) and Valanzano PartnersEngineers (Castellammare) has developed an approach or

the light structures or this site based on oating ounda-tions and a six-meter-steel grid rame. For the roong o the

Villa San Marco site, the Soprintendenza and the RAS proj-ect are likely to recommend continuing the philological ap-

proach that was initiated in the 1960s. For the very large Villa

Arianna site, and possibly others yet to be excavated, theRAS Foundation, through Tom Leader Studios, Land Plan-

ners, and architects Chris Grubs and TK Architects (SanFrancisco) is investigating a number o approaches involving

light raming, light-control glazing, tent or tensile coveringsand conventional scaolding put to unconventional uses.

Further, it is investigating the development o a single vo-cabulary or roong, pavilions, visitor platorms and shading.The RAS project is currently tending toward an approach

o double roong or the site-that is an overall roo cover-ing the entire exposed remains with pavilions beneath that

roong to suggest the ancient spatial arrangements and lightpatterns-as being the most likely to be eective in the con-

servation o the remains.The actual design o the roong has not yet begun. RAS is

studying how best to set up and deploy design and research

teams, including the conservation architect, design archi-tects, engineers, archaeologists, architectural historians and

conservators.

Kalwall transparent walls (RAS/MaryAnn Thompson Architects)

Stucco Panels (RAS/MaryAnn Thompson Architects)


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The ollowing notes are based on observations made

while surveying and studying the architecturaleatures o the Casa dellAncora and underscore

the need to reconsider and re-evaluate the spacearound archaeological remains, without going into specic

questions linked to the type o work and the nature o thematerials used. Understanding the space (in other words,the architecture) is thereore the ocal point around which a

line o reasoning develops with regard to carrying out workon ancient sites. This o course brings up problems o a or-

mal nature and o method.In the case o archaeological areas or sites located in

urban surroundings, the rst question regards establishingwhat ancient architecture represents today within a modernurban landscape and is thereore (closely linked to the rst)

a question o what action to take. More specically, the an-cient town o Pompeii raises two problems at the same time:

not only its relationship with the modern town, but also theneed to re-examine the urban abric, no longer viewed only

as place o memory, but also as a landscape in continuoustransormation.

An initial step could be to review the shape and layout

o the insulae by reconstructing the boundary walls, whichat present are incomplete and open onto views and vistas

that are inappropriate or ancient dwellings. Subsequently,it would be important to deal with the individual buildings in

order to recreate their original appearance, even improvingcertain aspects by using some modern elements that wouldmake it possible to understand more than just their archaeo-

logical signicance.In the case in question, the most interesting part is cer-

tainly the rear o the building. The architectural layout, madeup o the garden with crypto-portico, upper loggia and tricli-

nari rooms, is disturbed by the collapsed oor o the loggiaand the upper part o the columns and pillars, which alter-nated along the perimeter. Today there is a good view rom

here, which is widened even urther by the absence o the

boundary wall with the adjoining Casa del Naviglio, thereoreexpanding the dwellings private space towards the outside.This means it no longer corresponds to the typical Pompeii

dwelling, which was closed to the outside and open to theinside with atriums and peristyles.

The state o conservation o the Casa dellAncora is airly

good in structural terms, while little or nothing remains othe wall paintings and the oors. Thereore, the rst task

could be to restore the garden area together with the upper

loggia, recreating the privileged point o view, in other wordsrom the three triclinari rooms. This would mean rebuilding

parts o the upper loggia, its oor and the back wall, as wellas reconstructing the edges which close o the space to the

south towards the Casa del Naviglio, and to the east on Vicodel Fauno. These works would link to reconstructing the sur-ace, which connects the triclinari rooms to the loggia and

the tablinus, and to the vaulting o the crypto-portico to theeast and the west.

ConclusionsFloors and roos should be reconstructed where possible,

not just in order to conserve the structures and avoid situ-ations o uture deterioration, but oriented towards under-

standing the architecture. This would lead to the recovery oan area that had become illegible in the conusion o urban

development. This kind o reconstruction would also make iteasier to understand the original relationship that the dwell-

ings had with the outside world.In order to consider Pompeii as a town and not just as an

open-air museum, we need to create places where visitors

can pause to collect their thoughts and absorb their impres-sions. In act, one o the inspirations or this paper is the idea

o providing stopping places along visitor routes. Among thedwellings in Pompeii, the Casa dellAncora still has many o

its original eatures and seems well suited to combining anarchaeological visit with a place to stop, rest and reect. Ocourse, the garden should be planted with herbs to provide

an idea o how a typical Pompeii garden might have looked.Several experiments o this type have already been carried

out in Pompeii.Our aim is to come up with new ways o visiting extensive

urban sites like Pompeii. However, it is obvious that usingarchaeological sites cannot be bound by hard and ast rulessuitable or all occasions. It is more reasonable to suppose

that each case will be decided on its merits, adjusting the

rules where necessary.There is a clear need to diversiy, to oer dierent kinds

experiences to visitors. Not all visitors are part o large

groups. Some people come to Pompeii on their own, someto study, some are in small groups o our to six. These peo-ple could be oered dierent routes, with more relaxed tim-

ing and with places to linger and a chance to understand thisancient town better.

Initial ideas regarding a projector restoring and improving theCasa dellAncora in Pompeiiby Giovanna Spadaora and Fabrizio Pesando

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In April 2001, the Packard Humanities Institute signed

an agreement with the Soprintendenza Archeologicadi Pompei to enter upon a collaboration to undertake

conservation work at Herculaneum. The ultimate aimo the project is to assist the Soprintendenza to ensure the

conservation o the entire site. In addition to a number ominor projects and emergency works to stabilize the most

critical areas o the site, the project has so ar identied theInsula Orientalis I as a case study to explore the conserva-tion problems o the site as a whole, and the range o ap-

proaches to them. To date, a comprehensive archaeological

analysis has been undertaken by the consultant archaeolo-

gist Dr. Domenico Camardo (Sosandra srl), and a campaigno documentation and measured study by Dr. Massimo Brizzi

(Akhet srl); emergency stabilization o decorated suracesby the conservation consultant, Dr. Monica Martelli Castaldi

(Martelli Castaldi e C. sas); and a preliminary analysis o ar-chitectural solutions by architectural consultant Mr. Gionata

Rizzi (Studio Rizzi). The presentation will seek to identiythe nature o the major conservation problems that haveemerged rom the preliminary analyses, and the lessons that

have emerged to date about good conservation practices.

An Introduction to theHerculaneum Conservation Projectby Andrew Wallace-Hadrill

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T

he Herculaneum Conservation Project was launchedin May 2001 with the signing o a Memorandum o

Understanding between the Packard Humanities In-

stitute led by Dr David W. Packard and the Soprint-endenza Archeologica di Pompei, led by Proessor Pietro

Giovanni Guzzo. Directed by Proessor Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, and guided by a Scientic Committee composed o

leading Italian and international experts on Roman archaeol-ogy and conservation, the project has already made a signi-

cant impact on the site, nancing conservation work alreadyin progress through the Soprintendenza, and commission-ing a series o studies by a team o consultants, including

analysis o the extent and nature o decay, a campaign odocumentation and measured drawings, research in the ar-

chives, archaeological study o the remains and architecturalconservation proposals or restoration.

Shortage o unding and absence o adequate mainte-nance procedures has led to the progressive disintegrationo structures and decorated suraces in recent times, and

many houses are now so dangerous that they have beenclosed to the public. The immediate aim o the project has

been to halt the alarming decay o the site with an innova-tive preventive conservation plan which brings together site

emergency works, specialist research and long-term mainte-nance or the buildings and their decorative eatures. Thelonger-term aims o the project are being explored with a

case study o a block o houses in the south-eastern cornero the city (Insula Orientalis I).

The team o core consultants (Domenico Camardo,archaeologist; Gionata Rizzi, architect; Monica Martelli

Castaldi, conservator-restorer; Massimo Brizzi, archaeologi-cal surveyor) and the various specialist contractors are co-ordinated by the Project Manager, Jane Thompson, in close

collaboration with the Director o the site o Herculaneum,Maria Paola Guidobaldi and the Soprintendenza architects

Valerio Papaccio and Maria Pirozzi. In addition the ScienticCoordinator, Sarah Court, works to bring the on-site results

to a wider audience through academic and outreach initia-tives, allowing the project to establish a mutually benecial

dialogue with other heritage proessionals, stakeholders and

interest groups the site.The ollowing three contributions by HCP team members

explain the results o their research on site as presented atthe Symposium in November 2003, and their initial conclu-

sions on how work should proceed. These papers shouldprovide an understanding o how separate initiatives over-

lap and eed into each other, and how the multi-disciplinaryteam share their results in order to make more inormed de-cisions on how to proceed.

Since the time o the Symposium the Herculaneum Con-servation Project has moved to a new phase ollowing the

signing o an innovative sponsorship contract in July 2004between the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei and

the British School at Rome. The involvement o the BritishSchool in the project brings to the initiative academic pres-tige, urther expertise and a strong operational base in Italy

as it enters a more ambitious and site-based phase. Fund-ing o a rst phase o emergency works valued at not less

than 1.5 million euro has already been committed by thePackard Humanities Institute and site-works are already

underway.The major innovation o the new agreement is to allow

a private entity, the British School at Rome, to undertake

directly, at its own expense and under its own management,conservation and building work on an archaeological site

controlled by the Italian State. This application o a newsponsorship law, published in February 2004, was proposed

by the law rm o Nunziante Magrone and supported by thelegislative oce o the Ministero dei Beni e della AttivitCulturali. It is pioneering or archaeological sites because

its application allows an increase in organizational exibility,in turn allowing an increase in the amount o conservation

work possible at any one time and thereby opening the doorto a new way to saeguard Italys precious patrimony.

LHerculaneum Conservation Projectby Andrew Wallace-Hadrill

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The project area covers the whole o the Insula Ori-

entalis I, as well as the terrace o the SuburbanBaths; it includes the House o the Telephus Relie,

the House o the Gem, and the House o M. PiliusPrimigenius Granianus.

This is not the place or a detailed architectural descrip-tion o the complex, which has already been carried out by

Maiuri ollowing his excavations. Our understanding o thisinsula as a physical entity, however, and its precise geometri-cal conguration, has been considerably improved by a sur-

vey by Akhet. This, with its two plans and thirteen elevationsections, represents the most accurate recording yet under-

taken.We have recreated the insula in three dimensions, using a

wooden model; this in some ways represents the main contri-bution o the preliminary project. The model is a tool whichhas allowed us to carry out spatial analyses and geometrical

evaluations o the various proposed reconstructions o theinsula as it was in AD 79. It has also acilitated the process o

evaluating the architectural impact o the new roos that arepart o the conservation project.

The project area covers the whole o the Insula Orientalis I, as

well as the terrace o the Suburban Baths; it includes the Houseo the Telephus Relie, the House o the Gem, and the House o

M. Pilius Primigenius Granianus.

Analysis o current conditionsThe architectural and archaeological nature o this insula

would be impossible to appreciate in its complexity withoutthe impressive analytical study undertaken by Sosandra.

Their meticulous research, aiming to decipher the inorma-tion concealed within wall structures (to which we reer or

the identication o stratigraphic units and the reconstruc-tion o building phases), has revealed the archaeological im-

portance o the surviving structures, whilst at the same time

suggesting a number o interesting hypotheses to aid ourunderstanding o the complexs historical evolution.

The stratigraphic study o wall structures is essential oran optimal approach to the architectural restoration o the

insula. It has shown, among other things, that the status quoat the moment o the eruption was the result o constant

modications. These gradually transormed the original lay-out o the three houses, adapting them to the physical char-acteristics o the site and the changing aesthetic and unc-

tional requirements o their inhabitants.

The wooden model is a tool which has allowed us to develop a

spatial analysis o the roos representing part o the restoration

project, and to visualize their architectural impact.

The extent o the transormations to which the insula wassubjected between the Samnite period and the post-earth-

quake period is extremely important in the context o con-servation work. Evidence that the insula was ormed throughconstant modications to oor plans and wall structures

shows the utility o any attempt to reinstate their orma

pristina on the basis o typological parallels, or, worse still,Vitruvian precepts.

Another act o enormous interest emerging rom the

detailed examination o wall structures is the amount o re-construction work carried out by Maiuri alongside his exca-vations. The extent o these restorations (although in some

cases we are dealing with work aecting only wall suraces),sheds new light on the real extent o Roman remains at Her-

culaneum. We can now easily imagine what the town wouldhave looked like as a whole had this reconstruction work not

taken place.From the point o view o the conservation project, this

The Herculaneum Conservation Project:Architectural Aspectsby Gionata Rizzi

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consideration has serious consequences. On the one hand,

it negates any suggestion that we should remove the mod-ern additions in an attempt to recreate a condition o au-

thenticity (as already noted in our Osservazioni sul restauroe la museograa di Ercolano, the authentic and the recon-

structed orm an indissoluble whole in this Vesuvian archae-ological site). On the other hand, the presence o extensive

rebuilding work within the current archaeological context

considerably diminishes the problem o respect or the ruin,or more accurately, shits the conceptual terms o debate.

Any urther additions which might be required will not com-promise a condition o hitherto intact authenticity, but will

simply alter the ratio o original to restored portions.Moving on to the problem o the decay aecting the hous-

es, we cannot but observe that all the nishings used to deco-rate interior spaces (including stucco work, painted plaster,and mosaics) have suered severe damage by atmospheric

agents. It is tempting to suggest that attempts made so ar toconserve these decorated suraces in situ have ailed to attain

their objective. These attempts may be excessive i judgedrom the point o view o archaeological restoration (in quan-

tity they near that o pre-existing Roman decorations), butare still insucient rom the point o view o conservation.

The study undertaken by the conservator Monica Mar-

telli Castaldi on the site as a whole clearly demonstrates thatthere is a link between the lack o roos and decay. It does

not appear, however, that the phenomena o deteriorationcurrently underway have seriously aected the structural in-

tegrity o the buildings, with the exception o the beamsiniron or laminated woodorming part o earlier restorationwork, which will have to be replaced almost in their entirety.

Reconstructing conditions in AD 79The conditions o the insula and its ground plan at the

moment o the eruption emerge clearly rom the archaeo-

logical study. However, the conguration o the buildings andthe shape o the roos are still relatively unclear.

The archaeological evidence allowing us to reconstruct

the existing roos during the nal moments o the insulas lieis limited to the ollowing:

n identication o areas open to the sky;

n gutters;n drainage holes;

n underground drainage channels or rainwater;

n the height o the peristyle roo indicated by a tegula and

imbrex roo tile which had remained stuck in the walls.

To this we should add the identication, on archaeologi-

cal and architectural-typological grounds, o those roomswhich probably had an upper oor. This data, alongside geo-metrical considerations (the pitches o the roos must be

closed at top and bottom) and structural considerations (themain ramework o the roo must have rested on load-bear-

ing walls), have led to the ormulation o various possible re-constructions. This shows that, on the basis o available data,

the problem represents an equation with several unknownsand no one solution.

Among the various solutions meeting the requirements

outlined above we have identied one which or morpholog-ical and stylistic reasons seems more plausible than the oth-

ers; this solution has been recreated on our wooden model.

This hypothetical reconstruction was recreated on the model.

This was ollowed by a three-dimensional computerizedtrial, to see i the proposed system o roos could be geo-

metrically closed; the margins o error emerging rom thissimulation were compatible with adjustments that could

easibly be made during construction work. Finally, we as-sessed its structural viability by checking the supports or

the roo rame. Having ensured that the proposed solutionwas viable, we can now postulate the existence o roos othis type in AD 79.

A reconstruction o the original volume o the marble hall,

or example, might be based on traces let on the walls,

examination o excavation diaries, a relie on Trajanscolumn and a resco at Pompeii.

However, it is obvious that a hypothetical reconstructiono this type is characterized by dierent degrees o reliabil-ity in dierent zones o the insula. We have thereore identi-

ed six degrees o probability (rom level 1, very probable,to level 6, highly uncertain) or the roos proposed. This

hypothetical reconstruction does not include the easterndieta o the House o Granianus, or which, despite Maiuris

reconstruction, probably made or reasons o symmetry, noevidence was ound.


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The projectThe main areas to be tackled by the project are as ollows:

n Removal o the existing roo over room 6;

n Construction o new roos, or which we have developeda hypothetical maximum and minimum proposal;

n Excavation and redesign o the gardens;n Replacement o the skylights on the terrace o the baths;

n Restoration o the shore-level substructures o the

House o the Telephus Relie;n Construction o a vertical link between the two levels o

the House o the Telephus Relie;n Identication o advantages and disadvantages o

reconstructing the acade o the House o Granianus;n Work required to complete the excavation and study o

the insula.

The project must be guided above all by a duty to mem-

ory: a duty to memory or the enormous archaeologicalimportance and physical presence Roman, Bourbon, or

Maiuriano what has reached us. Too much has alreadybeen lost, and what survives must be protected to the best

o our ability by developing targeted conservation strategiesand making architectural choices which take account o thiscentral duty.

Current conditions, the result o excavation and restora-tion work rom the discovery o Herculaneum until today,

now represent a point o no return: any intervention on thesite must take into consideration not only the remains o the

Roman city, but also the town which has developed rom1738 until today. As already observed in the preliminary re-port, the reconstructions and additions made in the past are

now themselves part o history, and orm an integral part o asingle architectural entity, where restorations have become

part and parcel o the original.The question posed in our Osservazioni (Observations)

remains pertinent: what should we do now? Should we con-tinue with rebuilding work, or change direction entirely andavoid any urther rebuilding? Should we continue to rebuild

without excessive concern, trying where possible to givesome idea o the ancient structures, recreating their original

spaces, and the layout o individual rooms and the relation-ship between interiors and exteriors? Or should we cleanse

the original structures o useless additions, and limit rebuild-ing to the absolute minimum, preerring to remove decora-tive elements rather than rebuild a lost room to create the

conditions or their survival?

These questions can nd a well-considered answer onlyin the attentive observation o the insula itsel, avoidingtheoretical proclamations and the adoption o academic

positions. We should continue to rebuild where necessaryto cover rooms which can only be conserved i closed, orwhere this would signicantly improve the understanding o

spaces. We should avoid rebuilding work dictated merely bythe desire to give concrete shape to a hypothetical recon-

struction, with little impact on the conservation o the struc-tures and involving an excessive addition o new materials.

As such, the conservation project should not be con-sidered simply a material expression o excavation data:

rebuilding what certainly existed, stopping where we have

doubts. We may decide not to rebuild an element that de-nitely existed, thus xing archaeological evidence in three-

dimensions, or we may choose to reconstruct hypotheticalstructures, needed to stop decay or to recreate a more co-

herent and balanced architectural image.The considerations outlined above obviously imply a

certain degree o arbitrariness (o the type inherent in any

musical interpretation, however aithul to the score). Anypretence to neutrality, avoiding intererence with the archi-

tectural history o the site or interpretation o it, would bemere hypocrisy. The intellectual honesty which must lie be-

hind any task o this importance requires us to recognizethe need or interventions which will inevitably coner a new

appearance on the monumental complex, and thus or con-sidered and responsible design choices.

As we mentioned earlier, the Insula Orientalis I suers

rom highly visible decay, due to the exposure o materialsdesigned or interiors to atmospheric agents. On the one

hand, it is obviously impossible to reconstruct the ancientroos in their entirety, creating a roo covering the entire

excavation area, without denaturing the site. On the otherhand, we cannot continue to ignore the act that large quan-tities o original material are lost each year in uncovered ar-

eas. It would be truly irresponsible not to learn rom what wehave ailed to conserve in the absence o roos.

It is thus clear that must proceed with greater determina-tion to reconstruct roos in those areas where the impor-

tance o the materials beneath makes this necessary. Theidea o creating roos raised above the tops o the walls doesnot seem appropriate, both or reasons o eective conser-

vation (horizontal rain, pigeons), and on aesthetic grounds(the current roo over room no. 6 should suce to discour-

age attempts o this sort). The addition o obviously modernroos is not in keeping with the image which Herculaneum

has acquired, and would end up conerring a museum-likeappearance on a site in which urban space predominates.

From a museological point o view it is dicult to change

direction rom past rebuilding work, which created a realisticarchitectural appearance. However, rom the point o view

o conservation we are orced to do more: we must go be-yond Maiuri and venture into the realm o hypothesis, even

in the absence o archaeological evidence.The best solution is thus to continue to rebuild ad identi-

cum, using at and curved roo tiles resting on raters o di-

erent sizes, avoiding technological solutions that have little

to do with the genius loci which has gradually taken posses-sion o the site. Only where there is enormous archaeologi-cal uncertainty will it be worth designing roos that conorm

to a hypothetical reconstruction, but using dierent materi-als which should nevertheless be compatible with the an-cient ormal universe (copper, lead etc.).

On the other hand, we should avoid creating a hodge-podge appearance which is neither declaredly modern (e.g.

a laminated wood roo) nor in accurate ancient style (e.g.a roo in chestnut wood using ancient building techniques),

resulting rom the use o second-rate materials such as pine-wood beams tinted in imitation o more expensive woods, or


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carved wooden paneling o the chalet boiserie type.

Deciding which roos to build during conservation workis obviously undamental or the insulas uture appearance.

The proposal currently under development takes account oconservation requirements, the dierent levels o reliability

o hypothetical reconstructions, the ormal harmony andoverall intelligibility o the volumes to be rebuilt, and the ex-

tent to which walls must be rebuilt in order or roos to be

constructed.We have identied two levels o intervention, one below

which rebuilding work would be insucient, the other be-yond which it would be excessive. To demonstrate the volu-

metric implications o each level o intervention, these twosolutions have been shown on the model: the denition o

the nal solution will emerge rom discussion with projectconsultants, the HCP Scientic Committee and the Soprint-endenza Archeologica di Pompei.

The visual impact o the proposed roos is evident; themore so because the Insula Orientalis I is among the least

restored, and thus most in need o additional work. For thisvery reason, however, our approach should not be consid-

ered indicative o the work which will be required in theentire site, even assuming a comprehensive strategy in linewith these considerations.

In accordance with what has been said so ar, we willneed to proceed with the restoration o those elements

whose maintenance, in a living city, is guaranteed by thepresence o its inhabitants. Obviously, the reconstruction

o a drainage channel or the overow o a cistern are prob-lematic when the elements to be replaced are Roman ar-chaeological remains, in which case interventions should be

kept to a bare minimum. However, especially where theseserve to channel and disperse water, they are essential to

guarantee the conservation o architectural structures. Weshould thereore privilege the conservation o a house as a

wholeor the town as a wholeover individual elements. Iwe need to replace some original materials to restore theeectiveness o a channel or a oor, this loss is acceptable in

light o more widespread conservation benets.Having said that, it is nevertheless important to reconsider

the criterion o conserving each and every original ragmentat any cost. It is more important to assess the realistic lie

expectancy o individual elements under current conditionsin the insula. This is the only way to establish what must besaved, and to evaluate, on a case by case basis, where the

conservation o an isolated ragment justies building a roo,

and where, by contrast, building a roo represents an exces-sive addition with respect to the advantages conerred.

As already mentioned in our Osservazioni, one aspect

requiring careul consideration is that relating to the unior-mity o interventions. I the nal result is to be harmonious,the project must avoid diverse levels o conservation work

and unequal treatment o archaeological remains (an exam-

ple: the atrium o the House o the Telephus Relie, where

urnishings such as the oscilla have been reconstructed,whilst the architectural structure has remained highly rag-

mentary). Architectural suraces, wall paintings, urnishingsand gardens are not sel-sucient elements to be conserved

according to criteria specic to each category, but parts o awhole which must be viewed as such.

Additions to wall structures, whether these are carried

out piecemeal or structural reasons, or are dictated by theneed to render a ragmentary architectural element intel-

ligible, in my opinion represent the real problem in this res-toration project. Where these additions are needed or the

construction o roos, the resulting problem is undamentalor the intelligibility o the architectural image which will re-

sult rom conservation work. In contrast to Maiuris recon-structions, undertaken alongside the excavations as i toreproduce the structures which emerged but could not be

conserved, the rebuilding work needed to reach the heightrequired to construct roos will necessarily be undertaken

without the support o archaeological evidence. This leavesus with the problem, unknown to Maiuri who stopped where

excavation data stopped, o rendering our reintegrationsvisibly what they will inevitably be: arbitrary recreations obuildings whose architectural details are unknown.

The diculties inherent in this problem should not be un-derestimated. The desire to make modern additions imme-

diately identiable may lead, especially in brickwork wheretraces o old restoration work are visible, to the creation

o an incomprehensible pastiche. The strategies used toidentiy integrations (set back brickwork, dierent types obrickwork, dierent sizes o stones, and so orth) have oten

turned out to be ambiguous, and in time, are unable to con-vey clear inormation on the stratigraphy o wall structures.

We thereore need to reect more widely on how torender architecturally the elevations to be rebuilt in the

absence o sucient archaeological evidence. It should beclear that this is not merely academic respect or the con-cept o the recognizability o additions, but a question o

avoiding the unnatural appearance o substantial modernportions o opus reticulatum, lacking in genuine detail and

the marks which architectural history leaves on authenticwall suraces.

During the development o the executive project, weintend to undertake a series o in situ trials to assess theaesthetic impact and structural eectiveness o walls built

using techniques dierent rom ancient ones, but which do

not appear visually out o place.Finally, we should mention the reversibility o conserva-

tion work: although oten impossible to achieve ully (and,

paradoxically, requently more dicult when we use tradi-tional techniques), this remains a undamental criterion inthe development o a controversial restoration project such

as this.


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The Insula Orientalis I is made up o three houses (the House o

the Gem, the House o the Telephus Relie and the House o M.P.

Granianus) and has been chosen as the HCP case study.

Campaign o emergency worksThe emergency works include: provisional structural con-

solidation work, securing decorations in danger o collapse,

restoration o the rainwater collection system, study o sec-ondary causes o decay and resolution o the most pressingproblems.

Research activitiesResearch activities are concentrated mainly on a study o

water systems, essential i the site is to be protected. This

includes identiying the ancient system o water drainageand supply, which today collects some o the water carriedby modern guttering and drainage wells. The results o this

study will allow us to develop a new, rational, and denitivecollection and drainage system, which will remove water

as ar away as possible rom wall structures, and especiallyrom decorations.

An example o the presence o water on site where the drainage

system is not unctioning. Note the drain in the bottom right

hand corner which no longer adequately removes water due to

changes in the slope o oor suraces

Specic scientic research will also be carried out on the

problems presented by the conservation o wood and met-al, the disintegration o plaster, mortar and building materi-

als in general, on the geological substratum, the presence osalts, etc.

Depending on the results o the our activities described

above, as soon as the campaign o emergency works hasbeen completed the ordinary maintenance programme will

begin. This will involve periodic checks on suraces, andimmediate intervention on those areas which present new

problems o decay.Following a specic study carried out during the pilot

project, some provisional roos will be built, to test their abil-

ity to protect rooms suering rom severe decay, or wheredecorations are at risk.

Alongside the problems listed above, we will also tackleproblems o a biological nature; these have already been

studied and partially resolved at other sites, and will beanalyzed at Herculaneum to identiy a simple and eec-

tive method o control. Another problem is the presence opigeons living in this area. In order to keep the birds away,a programme based on the presence o specially trained

hawks, which will y around the site periodically, is currentlyin its initial phases. We will also begin to address the prob-

lems o the aesthetic presentation and interpretation o thesite or visitors; this requires a uniorm approach and a ho-

mogeneous nal outcome.5

ResultsThe photographs and drawings uncovered during archive

research will be used to evaluate the nature and impact o

decay. By comparing the various observations and resultsobtained rom all our activities, we will draw up the basic cri-

teria or a denitive preventive conservation plan coveringthe entire site o Herculaneum. This will enable us to begincomplete restoration projects or individual houses.

The material gathered during the site-wide studies de-scribed above, and all the material collected subsequently,

will be digitized ollowing uniorm criteria, allowing it to beentered, on an continuous basis, into a purpose-built data-

base. This will be available to all those interested in the exca-vations at Herculaneum in the uture, on a variety o levels.

Specifc observations on the conservationo decorated architectural suraces

It is worth stressing that this theme is o special impor-tance within the project. The conservation o decorated sur-

aces has driven numerous initiatives, and is in part the basisor the organization o the general works programme.

The presence o individual areas o delicately painted

wall, stucco decorations, oors covered with tesserae or

marble opus sectile, simple plasterwork or cocciopestooors have orced the study team to work together. Each o

5 The treatment o bare brick suraces, or example, is an extremelycommon problem in archaeological sites. Bare walls, in comparisonwith decorated suraces, appear as enormous lacunae, withreconstructed brickwork built at the time o excavation or later,and which varies widely in appearance, alongside decayed anddisintegrated original materials and mortar. The combination leadsto considerable diculties or the public when attempting tointerpret the walls as a whole. The pilot project will include aestheticpresentation trials in an attempt to harmonize the various types obrickwork and ease the interpretation o the whole.


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these suraces, whether it is o great artistic value or o minor

importance, represents unique evidence o ancient buildingtechniques and contemporary Roman taste. The archaeolo-

gist, architect and conservator-restorer, and alongside themthe engineer specializing in water, the chemist, biologist, and

other specialist consultants have oten had to ocus theirattention and eorts on tiny areas, narrowing their custom-

ary observations to meet the needs o a simple ragment o

decorated surace, an innitesimal part o this enormouswhole o paved streets, stones, mortar, bricks, and carbon-

ized wood, which, with its plants and gardens, give lie to thisbeautiul and enjoyable site.

A decorative surace which is inherently delicate andragile requires the speedy construction o provisional and

later denitive roong, an art-historical evaluation, a resolu-tion o biological problems and those o humidity, and nallya choice o the correct conservation methodology and the

materials to be used. This is true o both emergency worksand denitive conservation, whose methods and materials

cannot be in conict; on the contrary they must be part andparcel o one another.

Criteria or interveningThe intervention criteria governing the choices made

up to now are, as we have already said, based on absoluterespect or the arteacts, and a cautious and discreet ap-

proach to them.The process o securing the decora

VVAA. Conservazione All'Ombra Del Vesuvio. Ercolano 2003

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