On loan by the Soprintendenza Speciale per i beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei (Beni Archeologici), Italy, the artifacts include items found at archaeological sites in Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, Stabiae, and Boscoreale. Belonging to the approximately 1500 victims of Mount Vesuvius' August 24th, 79CE (common era) eruption, these items include ceramics, bronzes, sculptures, jewelery, furniture, figurines, frescoes, a mosaic fountain and a full display on how actual rooms in a typical Pompeii household appeared. Volcanic samples from Mount Vesuvius are also on display, provided by the Melbourne Museum.
Body Casts of Mount Vesuvius' Victims
During the end phase of the volcanic eruption, the extremely hot ash hardened on its victims, creating a gap between the ash and the body. In 1863, archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli filled these gaps with liquid plaster, creating a cast of the victims. Many of these casts are on view at this exhibit, clearly reflecting the torment the victims felt during the last few minutes of their lives. The resin casts include one of a crouching man holding a cloth over his mouth, a young woman who had fallen, couples holding onto each other, a guard dog from the House of Orpheus, a pig, and more.
According to a letter written by the Italian politician Luigi Settembrini (1813-1976), the body casts of Vesuvius' victims are not to be treated as art. "These are their bones, the remains of their flesh and their clothes mixed with plaster, it is the sadness of death that characterizes body and form. I see their wretchedness. . . .", according to Pompeii: Life in a Roman Town 79CE Gallery Guide [ National Museum of Singapore, 2010].
A 3-D film entitled "The Final Hours", depicting Pliny the Younger's eyewitness account (only existing account), is viewable after the introduction to the exhibit.
Life in Pompeii & Neighboring Towns
The display includes a complete look at what everyday life was like in Pompeii, including its founding. Some info and artifacts cover the following areas:
- Early Life in Pompeii- the town was founded in the 7th Century BCE (before the common era) by the Oscans, becoming a Roman colony in 89 BCE;
- Commerce in Pompeii- among the many artifacts on display, some commercial items include a bronze weighing scale, storage jar, bronze tray with movable handles, and a ceramic plate and cup. Weights and measures, fishing, and eating and drinking items are also included in this section;
- Gladiatorial Games- a bronze gladiator's helmet, decorated shield (with silver), and a bronze lamp (House of Marcus Fabius Rufus) are the top items on display in this section. Information on local medicine is seen immediately prior to this section;
- Necropolis (cemeteries & the afterlife)- this section includes tomb ornaments. A description of public religion is also found around this display, with bedroom, luxury and beauty items following the section;
- The Atrium House- in a unique display, the organizers (Beni Archeologici) and the presenters (NMS) took special care to recreate various rooms of the typical Pompeii house in 79CE. See additional information on the Atrium House exhibit listed below; and,
- Exhibit Educational Room- this last section contains reference books, volcanic samples and a documentary entitled, "The Next Pompeii".
The atrium house was the most common style of housing found in Pompeii. Other types included apartments, shop-houses, terraced homes, grand villas and villa farms. The exhibit organizers decided to recreate the individual rooms of an atrium house. These rooms include the dining and entertainment areas, the kitchen, the home alter, and the garden. Atrium style houses each had a courtyard with an open roof surrounded by other rooms.
The dining & entertainment rooms were essential to formally entertain guests, extravagantly decorated with each facing the equally decorated garden. Musical, theatrical performances and poetry readings were held in the exedra (entertainment room). The garden area took up a large portion of the house, usually at least one-fifth of the floor space. According the Gallery Guide, if the house was too small for a garden, plants were painted on the walls to try to give a similar garden effect. This section of the exhibit includes fresco fragments from the House of the Golden Bracelet in Pompeii.
Pompeii Exhibit
The overall exhibit is quite educational and full of information not previously known by many. The display will be open until January 23, 2011 from 10am-6pm daily at the NMS. Cost is S$12.00 for adults, with student and senior discounts available. Children under the age of 6 are free. Guided tours are available, including curator tours. In addition, special education sessions and child workshops are offered.
Please see "Sumatra: Isle of Gold Exhibit at the Asian Civilisations Museum" and " From China to Arabia: Ancient Treasure Ships Exhibit at VivoCity " for information on additional museum displays in Singapore.
Julie Maggiacomo Carrera - Julie's writing career began back in college in the 1990s. However, she considers herself a new writer since she has put this profession ...
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