Wandering around Herculaneum was an eye-opening experience, particularly building upon our trip to Pompeii yesterday.
The difference between the two sites is significant: Pompeii was larger but less well preserved. In Herculaneum, there are roofs, stairs and ceilings that contribute to provide more of an insight into the terrible tragedy of the 79AD eruption of Vesuvius.
Standing in a room brings home the concept of people’s everyday lives that were torn apart in just a few hours.
Only a small proportion of the old Roman town has been excavated, with the remainder under the modern streets. A tantalising set of tunnels and stone arched entrances hint at the streets and houses still buried. Apparently, early digging elsewhere close to modern buildings revealed an amphitheatre that may never be fully visible.
An especially poignant element of the excavation reveals the skeletons of people caught on the edge of the harbour, taking shelter in buildings that have become their tombs. They were carrying coins, jewellery and precious items, many of which are now in the fantastic museum on he site.
The boat that might have carried those people to safety was itself encased in the mud that slid down the mountain and you can see it as it is being renovated in a separate building. It was so close to saving lives.
Although smaller than Pompeii, Herculaneum is a more interesting site, exposing the reality of the tragedy.
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