Pompeii and Herculaneum
Sources
The range of sources
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Architectural structures and spaces at Pompeii
and Herculaneum:
domestic dwellings
places of worship
places of work
places of entertainment
shops and
public spaces
The variety of decorative arts:
• frescoes
• mosaics
• sculptures
• furniture
Written sources –
• inscriptions
• public notices
• graffiti
• papyri rolls
• wax tablets
Essential Knowledge
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1.You should be aware of the following –
What type of archaeological source is it ?
a private building
a public building
a monument
an artefact
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What type of written source is it ?
a literary source
an epigraphic source (inscription)
a numismatic source (coins or medals)
• Has the source been dated ?
• Is it a primary or secondary source ?
• In the case of an archaeological source, where
was it located ?
• In what state of preservation is the source ?
• If it is a line drawing or a photograph, how
accurate is it ?
• What information does the source not provide ?
Archaeological sources
• the study of human remains can provide
information on gender, age, appearance, general
state of health, a probable cause of death
• everyday objects provide historians with a
snapshot of daily life
• buildings give some idea of the big-picture.
However, much of the information available is
based on subjective impressions.
• wax tablets provide information about business
and legal activities and family structures.
Epigraphic sources
• wall writings offer a record of electoral
slogans, gladiatorial programs and various
other events
• formal inscriptions throw some light on the
system of government, the social structure
and social change
Written sources
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Cicero [c.106-43 BC] – provides information about political
activities in Pompeii post 80 BC
Strabo [c.63 BC-21 AD – provides descriptions of Vesuvius prior to
the eruption and of the Sarno Valley
Seneca [c.4 BC-65 AD] – provides information about the
earthquake of AD 62 which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum
Dio Cassius [c.150-235 AD] – provides information about the
eruption 100 years after the event
Tacitus [c.55-120 AD] – he alludes briefly to the eruption in his
prologue. In his Historiae , he may have made reference to Pliny’s
description of the eruption but this work is lost.
Pliny the Younger [c.61-113 AD]
In assessing the reliability of sources the following
issues need to be considered –
• the context in which the source is found –
artefacts must be related to other things around
them
• the reliability of dating methods
• artefacts or organic materials are not in
themselves evidence, they can be interpreted in
different ways by archaeologists and historians
• both sites are only partially excavated and there
are, therefore, gaps in the evidence available