Nearly 2,000 years after a devastating volcanic eruption destroyed and entombed a thriving Roman city, researchers are turning to the novel technique of digital archaeology to reveal the “lost Pompeii,” reports BritPanorama.
Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, covering Pompeii in a thick layer of molten rock, ash, and debris. While some residents fled, others were killed or trapped by volcanic material. The ghostly ruins, frozen in time, have become a focal point for archaeological investigation since 1748.
Excavations have uncovered buildings and artifacts hidden beneath the ash, revealing colorful remains of frescoes and the haunting vestiges of the city’s inhabitants.
However, not all architectural structures were preserved in Pompeii, leaving researchers with lingering questions about daily life in the ancient city. A sophisticated combination of remote sensing technology, close-range photography, and traditional archaeological methods are now assisting researchers in uncovering once-hidden clues, including towers that may have symbolized wealth and power, which likely shaped the city’s skyline.
“By reconstructing the lost architecture, we gain a more nuanced and historically accurate understanding of the ancient city and life within it,” said co-lead study author Dr. Susanne Muth, a professor at Humboldt University of Berlin’s Institute for Archaeology.
The findings and digital recreations from the Pompeii Reset project, published recently in the E-Journal of the Excavations of Pompeii, could alter perceptions of ancient Pompeii’s skyline.
Life among Pompeii’s ruins
During a visit to Pompeii with students in 2022, Dr. Muth was struck by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii’s efforts to preserve the city. Recognizing the challenges of studying fragile ruins under changing climates, she proposed a non-invasive approach to preserve Pompeii’s cultural heritage while gaining insights into its past.
The Archaeological Park of Pompeii collaborated with Humboldt University, which has a strong digital archaeology department. Techniques such as LiDAR (light detection and ranging) scans and detailed photography are now employed to document the remains of Pompeii’s structures and create 3D models. Researchers analyze details uncovered by the scans, including holes indicating absent structures, to digitally reconstruct what these buildings may have looked like before the eruption.
Other recent studies have also revealed that inhabitants returned to the ruins several decades after the AD 79 disaster.
“The volcanic debris and ash covering Pompeii after the eruption reached approximately five meters in height,” mentioned co-lead study author Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the archaeological park, via email. He added, “you could still see the upper floors emerging from the ash, in a sort of grey desert.”
Once-lower floors became cellars where later residents built ovens, mills, and fireplaces, which were uncovered earlier this year. However, subsequent eruptions in the fifth century ultimately forced these later inhabitants to abandon the site.
Excavations that began in the mid-1700s discovered preserved remnants beneath the ash, but any upper floors had decayed and vanished. Archaeologists historically focused more on finds like precious statues and wall paintings, with less attention given to the upper levels often thought to belong to poorer residents.
Renewed interest now arises from a desire to understand everyday life in Pompeii. “In the process, it has been discovered that wealthier citizens of Pompeii also used upper-floor rooms, as traces of richer furnishings have been found there,” Dr. Muth added.
Focusing on the newly excavated Casa del Tiaso, or House of the Thiasos, researchers discovered a monumental stone staircase leading to a second floor. Indentations on the walls indicated potential evidence of a second wooden staircase that may have led to an upper third floor.
“When we began to reconstruct this room in terms of its lost architecture, it became clear to us that it could only be a tower,” Dr. Muth stated.
A luxury home in a lost city
The Casa del Tiaso was one of Pompeii’s most opulent residences, likely belonging to an influential family, according to Zuchtriegel. It featured expansive banquet rooms, including one opening into a garden courtyard and another leading to a private thermal bath complex.
Roman villas outside city walls included towers designed for banquets and grand views. Pliny the Younger described such settings in his own villas, noting that the Roman emperor Nero supposedly observed the burning of Rome from a tower in his gardens. Architectural references to luxury homes often depicted towers, further complicating existing understandings of residential structures in Pompeii.
Despite this, archaeologists traditionally overlooked towers in urban settings, as Pompeian homes were typically constructed as extensive single-story structures rather than clustered, multi-story dwellings. “The Casa del Tiaso’s unique findings now suggest that such towers could also exist within cities as part of wealthy architecture seeking to emulate villa designs,” Dr. Muth remarked.
Such structures provided spaces for hosting guests, with views over the city and the Gulf of Naples. It is also speculated these towers might have been used for stargazing, with astrology being popular in Roman culture.
Restrictions led to reduced heights for private buildings within cities as temples required unobstructed views for rituals. “Taller private buildings were restricted, leading urban mansions to expand downwards to create sunken floors,” stated Dr. Marcello Mogetta, chair of classics at the University of Missouri.
While upper-floor apartments are documented in Pompeii, a tower in a prominent residence is without precedent but feasible, Mogetta noted. The implications extend to residential architecture reflecting social status, indicating creative innovation among some Pompeii residents.
As the Casa del Tiaso emerges as a focal point in Pompeii’s reconstruction efforts, researchers are exploring evidence for more potential towers across the site, recognizing that more investigation is necessary.
“Our goal is to preserve Pompeii’s heritage through digital reconstruction, which includes exploring how many buildings we can create virtually,” Dr. Muth added. Digital tools will be integral to monitoring conservation needs, enabling researchers to model parts of the city that have not been preserved.
“Digital archaeology transcends mere building reconstructions; it’s an investigative method to consider how structures were utilized and functioned within society,” Zuchtriegel noted.
With over 13,000 rooms excavated at Pompeii since 1748 and much still buried, insights gained from current projects could redefine understanding of older excavations as the archaeological park seeks to preserve the lost city’s legacy for future generations.
