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Historical sites around the world often have layers of debris which tell Historians about its past. Cities often build on the remains of old houses or walls, meaning each layer pertains to a certain time period. However, as the years progress and new eras are formed, certain elements of a city may be altered while others remain the same. Thus historical information may be skewed and without proper data, Historians can’t identify which items or places are in the context of the time period they are observing. In ancient Roman cities, building materials have changed over time, but without evidence of the initial materials, we cannot determine how things have progressed. The addition of new items and buildings also destroys older places, resulting in some information being lost forever.
Pompeii is unique in that everything can be found in context and no evidence from future civilisations can interfere with the historical data. The volcanic eruption of 79AD which buried Pompeii has left artefacts and even bodies in near perfect conditions. A number of mosaics, frescoes, wall writings and architectural features have been uncovered – all of which have contributed greatly to our knowledge of ancient Rome.
Although other cities were buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii is the easiest to excavate. Herculaneum, a nearby town, also has a wealth of information, but is buried under 20 metres of volcanic materials while Pompeii has only 6 metres. Pompeii is thus the ideal town for excavation.
Pompeii holds significant historical importance. As it was preserved under layers of volcanic materials, it has frozen a point in time which historians today can gather information from. Pompeii serves to fill in important information on the history of Rome such as the condition of the civilians, the general lifestyle, religion and art.
