The Herculaneum excavations, along with Pompeii, represent the hardest evidence of the terrible eruption of Vesuvius that struck the Vesuvian countries in 79 AD.
An eruption so devastating that it buried houses, temples, stores, streets and even the inhabitants themselves for centuries.
Only after 1,700 years were the Herculaneum excavations brought back to light. Here in our guide you can learn about the real history of the Herculaneum Excavations, specifically in our article you will get to read and know:
The history of Herculaneum
Herculaneum is located south of Naples and on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. It was founded by Hercules in 1243 and experienced its heyday when it was ruled by Marcus Nonius Balbus, who embellished the city with new monuments and buildings.
Herculaneum was the place of choice for Roman nobles to spend their vacations. In fact, its location near the sea and mild climate represented a perfect combination for those who wanted to relax and get away from the stress of the city.
But Herculaneum’s fate suddenly changed when on October 24 ( not August 24 according to the latest findings in Pompeii) in 79 A.D. Vesuvius began to erupt pumice, lapilli and lava. Herculaneum was submerged by more than 25 meters of volcanic material and remained buried for centuries.
Until in 1709 a farmer named Ambrogio Nocerino, while digging a well by chance came across pieces of valuable marble sticking out of the ground.
From that moment the history of the Herculaneum Excavations began!
An immense heritage currently spread over 4 hectares of land and visited annually by more than 400,000 thousand visitors.
The eruption that destroyed Herculaneum
On that day, the eruption began around 1 p.m. But Herculaneum, because of its location on the slopes of Vesuvius, was not initially hit by the rain of ash and lapilli that submerged Pompeii.
It was not until 12 hours later that the volcanic materials spewing from Vesuvius formed a giant Pine Tree (as described in Pliny the Younger’s letter), which collapsed in on itself and trickled down the walls of the Volcano. The powerful pyroclastic flow within minutes reached and destroyed everything at its foot, including Herculaneum.
Herculaneum was first hit by glowing clouds reaching a temperature of 400° and then by mudflows. That completely covered it with more than 20 meters of volcanic material.
It remained buried under the blanket of mud for more than 2,000 years; it was only in 1709, while digging a well, that the Nocerino farmer found the city’s first finds.
The first artifacts found at the Herculaneum excavations
First truly important Archaeological excavations, did not begin until 1738, by Charles of Bourbon, who commissioned Roque Joaquín de Alcubierre, to make the first map of the Excavations.
The finds initially unearthed were only pieces of marble, statues, inscriptions and frames.
Around 1750, the city’s first important finds were unearthed; these were the fragments of the Villa of the Papyri. The Swiss engineer Karl Weber, under the direction of Roque Joaquín de Alcubierre, produced the first map of the Villa.
Enel 1760, a sensational discovery was made; inside one of the rooms of the Villa, probably a library, more than 2,000 charred papyri and numerous statues were found.
In those years Weber gave the idea of abandoning excavation through the use of burrows and using an open excavation method. As burrows were not only dangerous and inconvenient, they also destroyed some of the artifacts found.
But Weber’s proposal was initially discarded. Only to be undertaken in 1826 by Francis I of the Two Sicilies, from there on it was a succession of interruptions and resumption of the Excavations.
It was not until 1924 with the appointment of Amedeo Maiuri as superintendent that a major new excavation campaign was implemented with the expropriation of part of the modern city to protect the ruins of Herculaneum from building expansion. This campaign unearthed the Herculaneum we see today.
In 1981 the most exciting discovery occurred. More than 300 skeletons were found under the terrace of the suburban baths, piled up in arches intended for boat shelter, as well as a real boat made of charred wood.
These were the citizens of Herculaneum who took shelter there to save themselves from the eruption of Vesuvius while waiting for rescue, which never came.
Marble engraving
Fountain Decumanus MaximusSkeletons of HerculaneumThe dead at Herculaneum
The bodies of Herculaneum’s inhabitants found during the excavation works were relatively few. This is probably because most of them managed to get to safety and escape. But also because the rest of the ancient city of Herculaneum still lies under the new city and not all the bodies were found.
Only with the discovery of the Fornici in 1981 was a large group of 300 people, including men, women and children, found.
The bodies were all crammed inside these holds intended for boat shelter while waiting for rescue by sea. Relief that due to the powerful eruption of Mount Vesuvius never arrived.
They all died instantly, vaporized by the powerful 400-degree pyroclastic cloud that left them no chance.
Fornici of Herculaneum
Carbonized BoatHow to visit the Herculaneum Excavations
The history of the Herculaneum Excavations is sad but breathtaking, so many things about Herculaneum that you have yet to discover. So I advise you in your visit to Herculaneum not to dwell on the smallest details. But to be enchanted by the tales of this ancient city buried for 2,000 years, by an experienced tour guide.
The habits, activities, and characters that made the history of Herculaneum you will be able to discover together with those who know those places perfectly!
