Conservation In Pompeii

767 Words4 Pages
Assess the issues in relation to the conservation of Pompeii and Herculaneum Since Pompeii’s discovery in 1748 and Herculaneum’s discovery in 1738 both towns have been subject to almost every technology trend in the science of archaeology to discover its secrets and also to aid in its conservation. The two sites have been under the control of many different archaeologists and men over time including the King of Naples, Charles of Bourbon, Karl Weber who directed the first proper excavations and also Fiorelli who is probably the most famous. Since the towns were discovered they have faced many issues in relation to conservation of the site, the most notable and controversial being the Villa of the papyri. The towns have been described by many to be ‘dying their second death’ – see source A Both sites are faced with deterioration from both the natural environment and human impacts. This includes exposure to light, pollution, weathering, erosion, and people walking through the sites, treasure hunters and vandalism. The damage done to Pompeii alone is expected to cost over 300 million US dollars to conserve the town, although due to the severe lack of funding this can be considered to be an impossible task. As both Pompeii and Herculaneum were initially excavated in the 18th century they have been standing exposed to the elements for hundreds of years, and so all structures have been affected by general deterioration over time. Excavations have left structures unstable and are on the verge of collapse. For example on November 6th 2010 the house of the Gladiators collapsed due to general deterioration and also heavy rainfall – see source B. Much of the site is closed to tourists because of the danger of collapse. Also artefacts are damaged from the natural environment with carbonised remains from Herculaneum disintegrating in days after being exposed to the air
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