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Herculaneum
Herculaneum, Italy

 

 

Why
Herculaneum
is special

Like Pompeii, Herculaneum was buried by the catastrophic Mt. Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD.  The excavated buildings of Herculaneum are better preserved.


Herculaneum
tips & insights


A well-concealed
Herculaneum

The town was covered with nearly 20 meters (60 feet) of lava, mud, ash and other volcanic debris. Herculaneum lay hidden and forgotten for well over a millennium before it was discovered in 1709.


Yet to be
exposed

Most of the ruins are not yet excavated. No doubt surprises await future archaeologists.


Most notable
building complex

It is the Villa of the Papri. This site stockpiled 2,000 ancient scrolls before  Vesuvius blew its top. Scientists are using modern multi-spectrum electronic equipment to read the scrolls (unrolling them would likely destroy them).


What the
skeletons tell us

Many were found huddled in the portside buildings. Apparently, these people unsuccessfully tried to escape by boat.


Herculaneum
compared with Pompeii

It was appreciably smaller than Pompeii, but more prosperous. Herculaneum attracts far fewer tourists than Pompeii. This is a plus for travelers who like exploring archaeological sites in a quieter, more peaceful environment.


Name

Herculeum was named for the Greek god Hercules.



More Italy topics

Wonders of Italy - Home page

Italy wonder map

Basic Italian phrases

Italian cuisine


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