The National Archeological Museum in Napoli houses different themed galleries. Some of the finest artifacts found in Pompei are to be found here. We figured that seeing these items before we go to Pompei would help is understand the setting and context. This is exactly what we accomplished. We found out that there were two different re-discovered towns adjacent to Vesuvius. Pompei, the more famous town, was destroyed by pyroclastic flows of withering hot ash and pumice. Herculaneum was a nearby town that was also destroyed, but by volcanic mud flows. The mud flows were less destructive to the wooden and metal artifacts in this town so more of them survived under the mud. Artifacts from both towns were on display.
Some artifacts were mere remnants
Some were nearly complete
These marble pieces are a bit of both. In the 1800's it was common to reconstruct the statues by making the missing parts.
This is the head of Jupiter, one of the oldest pieces found in Pompei. It was made in 80 BCE 160 years before the volcano erupted
Another Jupiter bust
There was a four horse team pulling a chariot. The entire bronze statue was placed on a prominent location in the forum of Herculaneum, just down the road from Pompei
Many parts of the chariot were found and this is a sketch of how it would have all gone together. This design was also found on a silver cup and many of the discovered pieces match up.
This woman was on the front part of the chariot
Another one of the horses heads
Ancient bronzes are few and far between. The bronze often had to be reclaimed to make cannons in times of strife
This is another example of a reconstructed statue. The lighter elements were fabricated in the 1830's but the darker chest plate dates to the first century CE.
An angry looking man is named Vespasian
The wife of the Emperor Augustus
The folks in the middle give you a understanding of the scale of the sculptures
The newer parts are clearly different
Bronzes and marbles
With fresco [paintings in the background
I feel better about the size of my feet now
Broken finger
More broken bits
These frescos were painted as opposed to the mosaics
A centaur
Oversized deities, with regular sized humans and and micro cupids
Teseo the liberator, is the little guy on the left biting him?
The expression is one of disbelief
Loved the medusa ceiling
An equestrian from 20 BCE
This could be a 20's flapper look
All hanging out in the alcove
A real horses ass and a long hall
Elaborate sarcophagi
Telling a tale of a life well lived
The central courtyard
Woof!
A little house to get buried in
The ancient's technique for hailing a cab
A gate carved in the side of the sarcophagi
This little one for for cremains
Wowzer what details!
What is going on out back?
A cornucopia or a phallus?
These stairs lead to the other exhibits
