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Published: December 22nd 2005
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Death Among the Ruins
Scientists have been able to use the molds, formed by the molten ash around bodies, to recreate the life forms in the exact position and expression of death. Pompeii and Capri
Two Days of Excavation, Preservation and Exploration
December 21, 2005: Pompeii. Major take-away: In Italy, the past looks an awful lot like the present!
500-600 years BC to 79AD Pompeii was ruled by three different cultures. Founded by the Phoenicians then ruled by the Grecians and finally by the Romans the city of Pompeii was a prosperous trading and resort community. Its beauty and its demise both were derived from its stunning location at the foothills of Mt. Vesuvius.
In 79AD, just 16 years after an earthquake rocked the city and destabilized its economy, the great mountain erupted, spewing rocks and molten ash high into the air, showering down upon the city of Pompeii. Most of the 20,000 inhabitants escaped, but 2000 did not, including a group of gladiators that were chained beneath their coliseum to prevent them from fleeing.
In the 1900’s, after years of helter-skelter excavation, a scientific approach was undertaken to systematically uncover the ruins, now buried under tons of ash and dirt, and restore the city as much as possible. The bodies of those killed had been encapsulated in molten ash. As the bodies decayed their cavities remained as
The Fred Melius Expedition
Fred and Joan led us on an exhausting (literally) exploration and examination of every brick, stone and tile (again, literally) in the ancient city of Pompeii! In the picture are Fred, Joan, Marc, Marni and Joni. molds inside the ash. Scientists were able to use those molds to recreate the bodies in the exact positions in which they died, right down to their facial expressions. These bodies are scattered throughout the ruins, in the exact locations in which they died.
In Pompeii one can walk down the streets, now restored in their original locations and in their original stone, lined by their stores and shops (now partially restored), and imagine the streets filled with people and oxen carts, and stores filled with the merchandise and culinary marvels of the day.
Quickly you realize that it’s not much different than walking down the streets of Sorrento or Naples today. The streets are still made of ancient stone, the houses have atriums to capture the natural light and rainfall, buildings are made of stone and stucco, the shops are small square boxes, floors are tile, doors are sliding style…and on and on.
I suppose I’m a bit naïve about the ways of ancient civilizations since my orientation is America where everything is so new. I expected the lives of ancient civilizations to be so much different than ours. But, in Italy, at least, the past
Pompeii, in the Shadows of Vesuvius
Ultimately, the location of Pompeii, in the shadow of the majestic Vesuvius, led to the demise of the city in 79AD. does not look an awful lot different than the future. I haven’t yet fully absorbed what this means to my perceptions of generations and time, but it certainly has been a take away that I will never forget.
One last thought…Fred should have been an archeologist. He examined each brick, each piece of tile, each stone as if it laid bare the meaning of time and shed light on our existence. I thought at one point Marc and Joni were going to tackle him and drag him out of the ruins! Joan, of course, was right there with him, turning over every stone and discussing its origins and the tales that it told. It really was fun to watch…although I’m not sure Marc and Joni share that opinion!
The Isle of Capri
Astounding Majesty and Awe Inspiring Vistas
We caught a boat over to Capri, made famous by the song “The Isle of Capri” by Billy Vaughn and in many movies, including “It Happened in Naples” with Sophia Loren.
Today, many movie stars and political moguls vacation on this stunning island. Located about 5 miles off the coast of Sorrento, in the Mediterranean Sea,
The City of Capri from the Phoenician Stairway
This stairway, cut into the shear face of a mountain over 2,500 years ago, is an amazing feat of engineering, and a frightening place to shoot a picture. its majestic rock edifices jut skyward like eruptions from the dark blue sea.
Its roads follow these rock formations almost straight upward, especially along the “Oh My God” highway—so named because it’s the first expression out of everyone’s mouth when they make that hairpin turn near the top and find themselves seemingly flying off the cliff high above the ocean with virtually no guardrails and no visible highway beneath them. I can vouch for this, by the way, since it was the first thing to escape my teeth-clenched mouth!
But the views are spectacular, as you can see from the accompanying photos, and the history is equally fascinating. The island dates back to 1000 years BC and follows the same cultural evolutions as Pompeii.
One of the more interesting man-made features is the Phoenician stairway; a stone stairway carved out of the side of the mountain and reaching from sea level to the top of the mountain, with a precipitous fall and no forgiveness for the careless climber. These stairs were carved around 800BC and are still used today—by those foolish enough to go to the top of the mountain via this staircase. Of course, now that
The Famous Stones of Capri
This is the image that most defines this beautiful island. I’ve been to the top via bus I’m not sure that I wouldn’t prefer the stairs!
Anyway, we really enjoyed our journey to the top of one of the most famous islands in the world and found it to be an unforgettable experience!
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Fred
non-member comment
Wow
This is sincerely cool stuff. I'm anxious to learn how you put this all together. Very fun. You dudes are really missing a beautiful winter wonderland though lol... We had wind chills of -46 degrees at the cabin. We huddled like the Pompeii guy to keep warm. Looking forward to the next blog Fred