The Field Museum
Education Department Presents
Educator Guide & Walking Map
October 22, 2005 – March 26, 2006
The exhibition was organized by the Ministero per i Beni e le Attivitá Culturali,
Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei, Soprintendenza per i Beni archeologici
delle province di Napoli e Caserta, Regione Campania.
Presented by
The Field Museum Education Department develops on-line Educator Guides to
provide detailed information on field trip planning, alignment with Illinois
State Goals and Learning Standards, as well as suggested hands-on classroom
activities to do before, during and after your visit to the Museum.
Teacher
Notes:
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Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption
October 22, 2005 – March 26, 2006
This Educator Guide is separated into four parts:
•
•
•
•
exhibition guide;
teacher and student resources;
fun facts; and
a walking map.
Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption consists of six sections. You will encounter over 450 artifacts and four auditory
elements (please note that there are no recreated environments or interactives in this exhibition). An audio tour,
produced in conjunction with Antenna Audio, will also be available for purchase. The tour currently includes
15 stops, and is designed to give a more in-depth look at some of the most important objects
in the exhibition.
Before you visit the exhibition, spend some time viewing the information on the Museum’s Web site at
www.fieldmuseum.org/pompeii/ to begin planning your visit. We also recommend using some of our quick fun
facts and pre-activities to introduce your students to the cultural complexities of the exhibition and focus on one
or two sections within the exhibition to study in depth. Each section of this guide has an introduction, guiding
questions, pre-activities, field trip activities, and post-activities, answers to guiding questions to help guide
your students’ experience.
© The Field Museum
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide • Teacher Notes
Page 2
Content:
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Part One:
Part Two:
Educator Guide by Section
Teacher and Student Resources
Section 1:
Introduction to Pompeii:
Stories from an Eruption
Part Three:
© The Field Museum
Part Four:
Fun Facts
Walking Map
Section 2: Herculaneum
© Ministero per i Beni e le Attivitá Culturali Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei
Section 3: Rural Villas: Oplontis
and Terzigno
© Ministero per i Beni e le Attivitá Culturali Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei
Section 4: Pompeii
© Ministero per i Beni e le Attivitá Culturali Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei
Section 5: Volcanism
© The Field Museum
Section 6:
Pompeii and Vesuvius Today
© The Field Museum
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide • Content
Page 3
Illinois
State Standards
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(with adaptations to specific activities and grade levels)
Use of the materials in this Educator Guide in combination with a field trip to Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption
will help you link learning experiences to the following Illinois Learning Standards. Teachers will need to identify
specific goals to map to individual lesson plans or larger units of study. This exhibition, while suitable for all
students regardless of grade level or learning style maps closely to concepts studied in later elementary, middle school,
and high school.
English Language Arts
State Goal 1:
Read with understanding and fluency
State Goal 2:
Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras and ideas
State Goal 3:
Write to communicate for a variety of purposes
State Goal 5:
Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information
Mathematics
State Goal 7:
Estimate, make and use measurements of objects, quantities and relationships and determine
acceptable levels of accuracy
Science
State Goal 11:
Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to
investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems.
State Goal 12:
Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life,
physical and earth/space sciences
Social Studies
State Goal 17:
Understand world geography and the effects of geography on society
State Goal 18:
Understand social systems
Fine Arts
State Goal 25:
Know the language of the arts
State Goal 26:
Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced
State Goal 27:
Understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide • Illinois State Standards
Page 4
Introduction
to the Exhibition
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“A fearful black cloud was rent by forked and quivering bursts of flame, and parted to reveal great
tongues of fire…Darkness fell, not the dark of a moonless or cloudy night, but as if the lamp had been
put out in a dark room.”
One of nature’s most violent cataclysms was vividly described by Pliny the Younger, who survived the eruption
of Vesuvius in A.D. 79. But untold numbers were buried in its volcanic debris, and a vibrant, cosmopolitan society
vanished overnight, while other societies sprang up in its place. Now the exhibition Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption
brings this lost world to life.
The exhibition, created by the Soperintendza Archeologica di Pompei, allows visitors to explore stories of Roman
life captured on the eventful day in A.D. 79. Casts made from human remains show real people caught as they
fled with their most prized possessions. Excavations past and present in the area around Pompeii have revealed
hundreds of objects that have illuminated that inhabitants’ daily lives: gorgeous room-sized frescoes and mosaics,
gold coins and precious jewelry, marble and bronze sculptures, and a variety of everyday household objects. Visitors
will visit three sites devastated by the eruption, seeing for themselves how the inhabitants lived and died. Visitors
will learn how volcanoes are born and how they wield their destructive power. Sealed in stone and frozen in time,
Pompeii is rediscovered as visitors make new discoveries and uncover yet untold stories of eruption.
This 10,000-square-foot exhibition features over 450 artifacts, including brilliantly colored frescoes, mosaics,
coins, precious jewelry, terracotta vessel, marble and bronze sculptures, and household objects, along with casts
of the victims.
Works of art and everyday objects from tools and keys to silver tableware—all serve to tell the stories of people
and society in the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis. You will see huge frescoes that decorated the rooms
of homes, villas, inns, and shops. Other treasures include beautifully worked gold jewelry, including a striking
pair of snake-shaped bracelets, a magnificent bronze gladiator’s helmet and shin-guard, each of them decorated with
scenes of gods, warriors, barbarians, and more. Another case holds a box of surgical instruments found next to a
surgeon who had tried to save the tools of his trade and poignant casts of victims, including a family group—two
adults, a small child, and an infant—who died together when their house collapsed on them. You will also see
geological specimens recovered from past eruptions of Vesuvius.
In addition to the 450+ artifacts, video presentations, theatrical lighting and authentic music add to the immersive
experience transporting your students to the ancient site of Pompeii, Herculaneum and ancient Roman life. There is
video just outside the exhibition that will capture the atmosphere through a montage of images that dramatically
sets the stage for the exhibition. Some images included in this video are casts, frescoes, and the volcano itself.
There is a brief narration in Italian with English subtitles.
Register for a field trip today!
Indicate your interest on your Field Trip Registration form.
Requests are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and pre-registration is required.
© Mimmo Jodice / Soprintendenza per i Beni archeologici di Napoli e Caserta/ Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide • Introduction to the Exhibition
Page 5
PART
ONE: Educator Guide by Exhibition Section
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Section 1: Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption
Pompeii may be the city most commonly linked to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in
A.D. 79, but the cataclysmic events of that year affected nearby towns just as violently:
Herculaneum, Oplontis, and others. These towns were rich in architecture, advanced
infrastructures, and exquisite works of art. The artifacts found there tell a vibrant story
of an ancient Roman society, advanced in many ways, which simply disappeared. A
generation after the eruption, Romans had gone back to their old way of life, and tales
of Pompeii had become a part of local folklore. Underneath their feet lay the remains
of homes and families, works of art, and animals that
were so suddenly smothered by Vesuvius.
Pliny the Younger’s accounts of the eruption, sent to the historian Tacitus, tell a grim but
detailed tale of destruction. Together with archaeological and volcanological data gathered
from the area, Pliny’s text has allowed scientists to reconstruct the events of this catastrophe.
Around noon on August 24, Vesuvius began its assault, and the streets of Pompeii and the surrounding region began
accumulating lapilli, or small pieces of solidified lava. Residents of the towns fled—some further inland, and many
towards the sea, which was too turbulent to navigate. By dawn of the following morning, the eruption had poured
an avalanche of ash onto Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Pompeii.
In this section of the exhibition, a 2-minute orientation slide show is located in the first gallery of the exhibition,
which consists of 14-20 slides.
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Guiding Questions
1. What is Vesuvius? Where is Vesuvius located? What nearby ancient communities settled near Vesuvius?
What happened in A.D. 79?
2. How was Pompeii affected by the eruption?
3. Why do we know so much about these people? When was this region “rediscovered?”
4. What types of artifacts have been uncovered in this region? What can we learn from these artifacts?
5. How has the discovery of Pompeii affected the use of archeology in this region?
6. What types of artifacts will we see in the exhibition Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption? What can we learn
from these artifacts?
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Pre-Activities
1. Start a K-W-L chart (see Appendix A) for Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption. What can students put on the K-W-L
that they already know about Pompeii and/or Roman life? Ask students to brainstorm in small discussion groups
what they want to learn about Pompeii and Roman life.
2. As a class, visit www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/tut/final/pliny.html and listen to Pliny the Younger’s eyewitness
account of the A.D. 79 eruption. Ask students why they do or do not believe this is an accurate account of what
happened. What questions were left unanswered by the author? And, if they could ask Pliny the Younger a question,
what would they ask?
3. Have students compare the films Gladiator and Ben Hur. How do these sources influence their perception of
Pompeii and ancient Roman life? Students should analyze the movie for perspective, purpose, and audience.
4. Working in groups of two to three, have students look at images from the Museum’s Web site, Pompeii: Stories
from the Eruption. Students should click on each artifact to learn more about the object. What kind of information
can we learn from artifacts? What kind of information can’t we learn from artifacts?
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section 1: Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption
Page 6
Section
1: Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption (continued…)
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Field Trip Activities
1. Ask students to come up with one or two questions they hope to discover in the exhibition, Pompeii: Stories
from an Eruption.
2. From their initial observations, ask students to describe the Statue of Hera. What questions arise from their
observations?
3. Have students sketch two or three of their favorite artifacts. What do these artifacts reveal about ancient
Roman life or the eruption in A.D. 79?
4. Ask students to interpret a story about an artifact or character revealed in the exhibition Pompeii: Stories
from an Eruption. Ask students to write their interpretation and why it is important to the exhibition.
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Post-Activities
1. Review the K-W-L. Check the knowledge the students started with. Have students work in groups to make
lists about what they learned in the exhibition Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption and then add that to the K-W-L.
2. Explain to students that they will create a large drawing with assorted papers, markers, crayons, and magazine
cutouts to illustrate a day in their own lives.
3. As a class, create an exhibition about daily life in their classroom. Choose artifacts illustrating a typical day and
divide students into groups to create label text, videos, maps and other images to tell the story of the people
and activities that occur.
4. Have students reflect on their own research on Pompeii and share their findings through a variety of media:
research papers, live performances, video documentaries, and/or computer slide presentation.
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Answers to Guiding Questions
1. Vesuvius, situated on southern Italy’s Bay of Naples, is commonly associated with the city of Pompeii, but
Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Terzigno were also located on or near Vesuvius’ slopes. In A.D. 79 a cataclysmic
volcanic eruption occurred destroying all who could not escape.
2. Pompeii was affected by the initial phase of the eruption. A rain of pumice pounded on rooftops, forcing
residents from their homes and into the streets. Fleeing for safety, these fugitives were struck down by
the volcano’s toxic gases.
3. In 1711, men digging for limestone accidentally uncovered the ancient city of Pompeii. Since that first discovery,
numerous archaeological excavations have revealed hundreds of objects that illuminate the inhabitants’ daily lives.
This region continues to be excavated and new discoveries are still being made.
4. As a result of 200 years of excavations, archaeologists are able to draw detailed conclusions about ancient Roman
life through uncovered artifacts. Plaster casts of human remains show real people caught as they fled with their
most prized possessions. The victims’ frescoes, mosaics, jewelry, sculpture and other personal objects found in the
ruins attest to the affluence of these communities.
5. Since the discovery of Pompeii, archaeologists have created systematic excavations of this region by recording the
location and context in which artifacts are found.
6. Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption offers a glimpse into the conclusions made about the peoples, places and things
destroyed by the cataclysmic events of A.D. 79. The artifacts on view allow visitors to make their own conclusions
about ancient Roman life and the anatomy of a disaster.
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section 1: Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption continued
Section
2: Herculaneum
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Just over nine miles northwest of Pompeii lay the seaside resort of Herculaneum, home
to nearly 5,000 residents. Some of Rome’s wealthiest citizens had second homes here, where
they could relax in the public baths that looked out on the sparkling ocean. Indeed, one
of the most luxurious homes yet known in the Roman world was discovered in
Herculaneum—the Villa of the Papyri. Discovered by chance in 1750, the Villa rose high
above the cliffs of the sea, with an ideal panoramic vista to the Bay of Naples and an
expansive swimming pool. Among its many treasures, the Villa’s library contained as many
as 1,758 papyrus scrolls, including texts of the epicurean philosopher Philodemus of
Gadara and some Latin texts.
But even the grandeur of the Villa of Papyri was no match for Vesuvius’ rage. Herculaneum
was mostly spared from the initial phase of the eruption on August 24—residents stared
in shock at the column of gas and volcanic material that rose above Vesuvius, and were
filled with anxiety when tremors shook the streets. But they remained in the city, uncertain
what to do. Experts speculate that residents only began to flee the city in the late afternoon when the cloud rose so
high that it blocked out the sun.
By one o’clock the next morning, the column collapsed, producing the first lethal surge—a burning cloud of gas and
ash that reached temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees F. Rolling along the flanks of Vesuvius, the volcanic
material reached Herculaneum within minutes.
In this section of the exhibition is one of the best Roman marble heads of the Classical period, a small drinking cup
found in the Vesuvius area, a long gold chain necklace, a stunning gold ring, a wicker basket laden with silver and
bronze coins, a soldier’s iron dagger, and a pair of snake-shaped bracelets.
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Guiding Questions
1. Where is Herculaneum? What kind of town was it?
2. How did the eruption affect Herculaneum? Why was it impossible for residents to escape?
3. How did these events preserve bodies, organic materials, and buildings?
4. Why did so much gold and gold jewelry survive?
5. What can the artifacts and skeletal remains reveal about the people who lived in this area?
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Pre-Activities
1. Prompt students to write a modern-day myth explaining the occurrence of volcanoes.
2. Go to the National Weather Service’s Internet Weather Source at http://weather.noaa.gov/ to learn about the
current weather conditions in modern day Napoli, near ancient Herculaneum. Ask student to create an ancient
weather forecast for Herculaneum.
3. Check out Harris Loan’s Home Sweet Home Experience Box and discuss the different houses found in various
climates. Continue the discussion by asking students to guess what the different types of houses in Herculaneum
might have looked like. Follow up discussion by comparing this list with types of houses found in the United States.
4. Distribute photocopies or printouts of the image of The Marble Head of the Amazon from the Museum’s Web site.
Ask students to impose a grid on top of the statue’s face and, using the concept of scale and ratio, have students
transfer the image to a larger piece of paper.
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section 2: Herculaneum
Page 8
Section
2: Herculaneum (continued…)
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Field Trip Activities
1. Find examples of different Roman houses within the exhibition. In small groups imagine who might live in these
houses, what their occupations were, and what their favorite pastimes might have been.
2. Investigate Herculaneum’s arcades. What do students notice about the variety of artifacts found at these sites?
What value did these artifacts possess for their owners? Ask students to record their impressions about the artifacts
and draw conclusions about their use and the people who used them.
3. Allow students to choose and examine two to three pieces of jewelry found in Herculaneum. Have students identify
and describe common icons and motifs found in the variety of women’s jewelry.
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Post-Activities
1. The luxurious Villa of Papyri had an extensive library of over 1,758 texts, including the owner’s favorite authors.
As a class, visit your local school or public library and have students choose a book. Write a book report in the
form of an ancient scroll.
2. Bathhouses represented and unified the Roman civilization. Ask students to research and identify the Roman
rituals of bathing at www.pbs.org/empires/romans/life. In the United States, what customs unite us as a culture?
What rituals do we as a nation share in common?
3. As a class read or listen to the Roman myths about Hercules. Discuss this hero’s special powers and ask students
to create and draw their own cartoon hero and comic strip.
4. Ask students to create 3D interpretations of the animals and myths reflected in the jewelry and sculpture found
in Herculaneum. Students may express themselves using clay, wire, and glass beads. Have students title and
label their pieces. Display their work around the classroom and ask students to share their process and why.
5. Have students create their own paper-mâché portraits, exhibiting craftsmanship and creativity in the face’s details.
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Answers to Guiding Questions
1. Just over nine miles northwest of Pompeii, Herculaneum was a seaside resort. As a second home to some of Rome’s
wealthiest citizens, Herculaneum was filled with luxurious homes and public baths.
2. When Vesuvius erupted, Herculaneans were spared from the rain of pumice that fell on Pompeii and many lingered
before fleeing the city. However, at about one o’clock in the morning on August 25, the first of six pyroclastic surges
swept over the city. These superheated clouds of ash and gas killed victims instantly before slower-moving pyroclastic
flows sealed the victims beneath nearly 75 feet of rock. Residents who attempted to flee were immediately struck
down by gas and ash. Once the first surge had abated, the city was buried under volcanic material extinguishing all
life in the region.
3. The dynamic process in which the city was buried—in numerous sporadic phases—and the presence of groundwater
in the area made it an ideal site for the preservation of organic material, like wood, fiber, and bone.
4. Because of its great value, gold was likely one of the first things Herculaneans grabbed as they fled their homes. Gold
also has a chemically stable nature, making it easy to preserve and endure through the centuries in soil and ash.
5. Prior to the 1980s, most archaeologists believed that most of Herculaneum’s residents escaped the eruption, but after
a chance discovery of human remains along the coast that assumption was proven wrong. The remains found in
Herculaneum show fugitives fleeing their homes, desperately grabbing their most valued possessions, before they too
were struck down and buried in volcanic material.
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section 2: Herculaneum continued
Section
3: Oplontis and Terzigno
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On the outskirts of Pompeii lay thriving agricultural villas, whose owners commuted
to them by day and returned to them by night. The Tabula Peutingeriana—an early road
map of the Roman Empire—details the settlements that stretched continuously along the
coast of Campania between Miseno and Sorrento, near Pompeii. Among these settlements
are Oplontis and Terzigno.
Oplontis is located about three miles from Pompeii, at the site of the present day town of
Torre Annunziata. Between 1964 and 1984, systematic excavations at Oplontis unearthed
several important villas, most notably “Villa B,” a house that is now known to be the Villa
of Lucius Crassius Tertius. Inside the Villa, excavators found piles of jars called amphorae,
which were known to hold goods such as wine, oil, and other agricultural products. Because
of the presence of the amphorae, the building was thought to be a business center where
agricultural goods were processed, and sold.
Situated at the northern periphery of Pompeii, another territory, now the town of Terzigno, sat closest to Vesuvius.
The rich volcanic soil in the area—a remnant of previous eruptions—made Terzigno an ideal site for cultivating
wine grapes. Indeed, the layout of the complexes uncovered at the site, the presence of torcularia (wine presses)
and wine storage chambers, and the proximity of agricultural land have made it easy to identify these sites as
vineyards and farms.
In this section of the exhibition you will discover a strongbox found in the peristyle of the house, a necklace of gold
beads and emeralds, a silver mirror with a smooth circular reflective surface and club-shaped handle. In room 16
you’ll view a fresco from the west wall and a fresco from the east wall that feature details of the infant Dionysus,
and two gladiator’s helmets and shin-guards that reflect gladiatorial games of Pompeii.
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Guiding Questions
1. Where were Oplontis and Terzigno located? What kind of towns were they? What benefit did living on or near
a volcano have for these towns?
2. How were these areas affected by the eruption? How was their experience similar to Pompeii and Herculaneum?
How did it differ?
3. Why is Vesuvius such a dangerous volcano?
4. What can an artifact, or lack of artifact, tell us about a victim? Why do archaeologists assign names and
occupations to some victims?
5. How was the cast of the Girl from Oplontis created? How does this method differ from the plaster casts
made of other victims?
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Pre-Activities
1. Visit the Museum’s Web site and discover how The Field Museum acquired its collection from Pompeii. Learn more
about the artifacts and frescoes from Boscoreale and visit The Art Institute of Chicago to see the amazing frescoes
acquired by Edward Ayers in the1890s, the first President of The Field Museum and founder of Harvard, Illinois.
2. Have students use the classroom as an “archeological site.” Students can create a grid of the classroom’s floor plan
and systematically locate the objects in the room. Ask students to choose two or three objects and describe how
they are used.
3. Prompt students to investigate the contents of their backpack, documenting and cataloging what they find.
Collect students’ work and redistribute to another class or student. Ask this class or student to write a narrative
of the possible identity of the backpack’s owner.
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section 3: Oplontis and Terzigno
Page 10
Section
3: Oplontis and Terzigno (continued…)
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Field Trip Activities
1. Gather information about the earthenware jars from the Villa of Boscoreale. What can we learn about the people
who used these jars? Ask students to sketch a possible use or activity for these jars.
2. Gather your class around the strongbox. Ask them to think of three things that would have been stored in this
box by it owner. Ask students to imagine what they would want to keep safe in a box like this.
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Post-Activities
1. Ask students to write a reflective narrative about the people in Oplontis and Terzigno and their life before the
eruption. Students should include illustrations to help tell their story.
2. Ask students to imagine that, 2,000 years from now, archeologists are uncovering their home. What artifacts would
they find and how would future archeologists describe the function and use of those objects? Students’ descriptions
should identify the artifacts, place the artifacts into context, and identify any questions that the artifacts suggest.
3. As a class, create a time capsule of objects that illustrates life in 2005. Allow students to choose their object and
tell the class why it should be included. Bury the capsule on school property and keep a record of its location,
so a future class can discover it.
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Answers to Guiding Questions
1. An early road map of the Roman Empire details Pompeii’s suburbs. Oplontis, a mid-size city known as a kind of
business center was located three miles from Pompeii. Terzigno, an agricultural area, was located along Pompeii’s
northern periphery. The rich volcanic soil in the area—a remnant of previous eruptions—made these sites excellent
for cultivating grapes and manufacturing wine.
2. Like Pompeii, residents of Oplontis and Terzigno began feeling the effects of the first phase of the eruption by
mid-day on August 24. They felt the tremors, saw the volcanic column rise above Vesuvius, and quickly sought
shelter from the thick rain of pumice. Oplontis and Terzigno finally fell victim to Vesuvius as the first volcanic s
urge dropped incandescent, fast-moving clouds of material on the towns, killing those who had not fled.
3. Vesuvius is a dangerous volcano because as pressure builds up within, the result is a violent explosion of pyroclastic
material from its vents. This material consists of ash, small volcanic pebbles called lapilli, lava, and toxic gases.
4. Many of the skeletons found in Herculaneum can be divided into two groups: those who had nothing with
them—possibly slaves; and those with money and jewels concealed in their clothing—possibly wealthy villa owners,
or thieves.
5. The Girl from Oplontis cast was created in 1984 using an experimental technique. Archeologists injected wax
into the hollow cavity left behind by the girl’s body. Once the wax figure was removed from the ground, a plaster
mold was poured around it. The plaster mold was then filled with transparent resin, creating this cast. Unlike the
plaster casting, this method can reveal the bone structure of the person, and any objects they had on them.
© Ministero per i Beni e le Attivitá Culturali - Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section 3: Oplontis and Terzigno continued
Page 11
Section
4: Pompeii
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Pompeii was considered a very large city for its time, and even more cosmopolitan than
Rome, which was several days’ journey from Pompeii. Because of Pompeii’s long and varied
history of ownership, foreign influences—such as the practice of Egyptian religious rites and
the use of Greek architecture—are evident everywhere in the city. It held administrative control over the neighboring suburbs, and was a center for trade in crops, wine, and olive oil.
When Vesuvius erupted much of Pompeii was still recovering from the great earthquake of
A.D. 62, and evidence of massive reconstruction efforts was found during excavations.
Excavations as recent as 1999—during the expansion of the A3 autostrada, or highway—
uncovered some of the finest frescoes yet found in the region. These frescoes, found in the
House of the Triclinia in Moregine, cover the walls of all three triclinia (literally, three-sided
dining rooms). The frescoes were meant to enhance the dining experience for guests, and
some experts speculate that this particular site may have been a travelers’ stop for Emperor
Nero himself. An assortment of muses lines the walls, among them: Euterpe, Muse of Dance and tragic choruses; Clio,
Muse of history; Calliope, Muse of lyric poetry; and others.
In this section of the exhibition you see a variety of statuettes, a fresco and various artifacts such as an octagonal
bronze inkpot, a single-wick bronze oil-lamp, a beautiful bronze dining couch, and a floor mosaic.
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Guiding Questions
1. Where is Pompeii located? What were some of the professions held by Pompeii’s citizens?
2. What is a mosaic?
3. What is a fresco? What are the four styles of frescoes found in Pompeii? In Pompeii, where would you typically
see frescoes?
4. What religion did people practice in Pompeii? How did the people of Pompeii practice religion?
5. What did the residents of Pompeii do for entertainment? Where would they go in the city to view such
entertainment?
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Pre-Activities
1. Listen to the music of Synaulia, Ensemble DeOrganographia, Music of the Ancient Greeks, and imagine the noises
of an ancient Roman town. As a class, list everything you think you might hear and everything you may not hear.
For example you may hear a cart with wooden wheels drive by on a stone road, but you would not hear an
airplane fly overhead.
2. Experience and analyze the pros and cons of a Roman dictatorship. At the beginning of the school day, select one
student to serve as the dictator for the day. Allow him or her to make many decisions about the class routine.
At the end of the day discuss students’ opinions about the experience and compare them to their experiences living
in a democracy.
3. As a class, comprise a list of what students believe they already know about gladiators. Have students think of
two to three questions they hope to discover in the exhibition about gladiators.
4. On the Museum’s Web site view the frescoes from Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption and discuss the subject
matter, the artistic process, and the techniques used to complete these art forms.
5. Locate murals in your neighborhood. You may find these images inside or outside a neighborhood post office or
courthouse. Ask students why these images are there and what they think of them on public buildings.
6. As a class create a collective collage of images from their school and discuss what it says about the school’s
character and culture.
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section 4: Pompeii
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Section
4: Pompeii (continued…)
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Field Trip Activities
1. In the format of a journal or diary entry have students record their first impressions and feelings about Pompeii and
its artifacts. Before departing the Museum, have the class share their impressions and feelings with one another.
2. View the mosaic depicting Medusa’s head. Discuss what myth is being told, why ancient Romans placed this image on
the floor, and why the ancient Romans chose a mosaic, instead of a fresco, to tell this story.
3. Ask students to observe and list the varying colors depicted in the frescoes. As a class discuss what plants and
minerals would be used to create these pigments.
4. Have students find similarities between the gladiator’s helmet, shield, galerus and ocrea found in the Quadriporticus
and a football player’s helmet, shoulder pads, and jersey. Continue this discussion by finding similarities between a
Roman style amphitheatre and Chicago’s very own Soldier Field.
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Post-Activities
1. Read pre-selected excerpts from Mark Twain’s Innocents Abroad. Ask students to compare their impressions of
Pompeii and its artifacts with Mark Twain’s impressions.
2. Have students create their own Roman-influenced mosaics using magazines, colored paper, and other recycled papers
depicting an object or story.
3. One of Pompeii’s taverns needs a new sign. Have students design a logo and sign to advertise the tavern’s selection of
food and beverages to local residents and the nearby naval base.
4. Arrange for an experienced muralist to come to your school and work with your students to create a mosaic wall
mural in a public community space.
5. Ask students to imagine themselves as a participant at a gladiator game in Pompeii’s Coliseum and write a personal
account of the games.
6. As a class, compare the films Gladiator and Ben Hur. Ask students to choose one of the movies and write a paper
defending or attacking its representation of gladiators and Roman life.
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Answers to Guiding Questions
1. The city of Pompeii lay at the base of Mt. Vesuvius. On August 24, A.D. 79, tens of thousands went about their
business in shops that sold glassware, pottery, wine, produce, fish and cloth. The streets echoed with voices of
farmers, carpenters, cleaners, boat builders, and gamblers.
2. A mosaic is an artistic design made of small pieces of colored stone and glass. In Pompeii, mosaics decorated
floors in various motifs, such as the Medusa, who might provide protection from the “evil eye.”
3. A fresco is a painting that is created by applying pigments of color to a damp plaster surface. Based on the frescoes
discovered in Pompeii, art historians have divided ancient Roman paintings into four styles. The first style reproduced
the appearance of a wall of built stone or colored marble. The second style portrays actual architecture, painted in
perspective, between which one can catch a glimpse of the landscape. The third style is divided into panels, in which a
large mythical subject most often fills the central panel. The fourth style mixes elements from the second and third
styles, but with greater diffusion of pictures in the center panel. Because there were few windows in most homes,
frescoes decorated a home’s interior walls. Often these frescoes enhanced a house’s dining rooms, covering three walls.
4. Ancient Romans worshipped a pantheon of Greek, Egyptian, and eastern deities. Priests and priestesses oversaw
rituals and rites where people presented these gods and goddesses with gifts and sacrifices.
5. Entertainment in Pompeii was announced on city walls. Their programs detailed the happenings in the theaters
or sometimes the amphitheatre. Residents went to these large arenas to watch gladiators fight, box, or race. They
also went to the theaters to watch theatrical presentations of comedies and tragedies.
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Page 13
The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section 4: Pompeii continued
Section
5: Volcanism
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There is much to know about volcanoes and their eruptions before we can fully dissect the
events of A.D. 79. Vesuvius is a stratovolcano, which are usually tall, mountainous volcanoes
whose steep sides have been formed over time by repeated deposits of ash, lapilli, lava, and
pyroclastic flows. Other types of volcanoes, such as the shield, cinder cone, and lava dome
volcanoes, produce very different types of eruptions.
Vesuvius’ eruption in A.D. 79 is categorized as a Plinian eruption, since Pliny was the first
to document its shape and characteristics. Plinian eruptions are characterized by the
pine-tree-shaped clouds that form above the volcano’s crater, as well as the wide variety
of hazardous materials ejected by the volcano (such as ash, poisonous gases, and lapilli).
These eruptions occur when the vast plates beneath the Earth collide and send heated
material—in the form of magma—through weak spots in the Earth’s crust. Vesuvius sits
on the edge of the Eurasian plate, which is in constant collision with the African plate,
resulting in a great deal of volcanic activity. Indeed, Vesuvius erupted as recently as 1944. In order to provide advance
warning for any impending eruptions, today its geologic activity is monitored around the clock.
In this section of the exhibition is a 5-minute video with footage of active volcanoes and scenes from Pompeii today
that examine the A.D. 79 eruption, and its effects.
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Guiding Questions
1. What are the four different types of volcanoes? What type of volcano is Vesuvius? What type of eruption
occurred at Vesuvius in A.D. 79?
2. Why did this eruption occur?
3. How do geologists reconstruct the A.D. 79 eruption of Vesuvius?
4. What is a pyroclastic surge? What is a pyroclastic flow?
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Pre-Activities
1. Go to the National Geographic Web site at www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/ and have students
think of one or two questions about earthquakes and volcanoes.
2. Investigate the meaning of volcanology. First talk about what it might mean and then look it up.
3. Use the Web site, http://hsv.com/scitech/earthsci/quake.htm and have students plot recent seismic and volcanic
activity on a world map. After plotting the data, ask students if there is a pattern to the location of earthquakes
and volcanoes. Finally, compare the students’ maps to a world map with plate boundaries. You can also have
students visit Vesuvius’ Observatory to learn how researchers are currently monitoring Vesuvius at
www.ov.ingv.it/eng_home/.
4. Ask students to study the effects of the 1980 Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption on nearby communities by
writing a historical timeline.
© The Field Museum
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section 5: Volcanism
Page 14
Section
5: Volcanism (continued…)
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Field Trip Activities
1. In small groups, look at the aerial view of Pompeii and watch the video located in the Pompeii section. Ask students
to think of one question about the A.D. 79 eruption of Vesuvius.
2. Have students touch the lava interactive and describe how it looks and feels. As a class, or in small groups, talk
about the destruction caused by volcanic material, including volcanic ash and gases.
3. As a class or in small groups, talk about why archeologists creates casts of human figures. What can we learn from
them? How are they used in revealing information about Roman daily life and the A.D. 79 eruption?
4. Encourage student to view the Museum’s permanent exhibitions Traveling the Pacific and Moving Earth. Investigate
the basics of earthquakes, volcanoes, and plate tectonics by witnessing the activities that occur in these exhibitions.
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Post-Activities
1. Simulate a volcanic eruption using empty film canisters and Alka-Seltzer tablets. Talk with student about the
similarities of pressure building up in the empty film canisters and gases building up in Vesuvius to blow
open a closed vent.
2. Create a movie poster of one of the four different types of volcanoes. Ask students to depict where, when, and
how a volcano erupts.
3. Compare the eruption of Mt. St. Helens with the A.D. 79 eruption of Vesuvius, then create a Venn diagram
depicting the similarities and the differences.
4. Ask students to use the television drama, CSI’s Web site, www.cbs.com/primetime/csi/ to learn more about the
tools, evidence and procedures used by scientists to collect evidence and data from human remains. Of these
procedures and tools, which would you use on the human remains/cast from Pompeii and what new evidence
might you discover?
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Answers to Guiding Questions
1. Vesuvius is a stratovolcano, but other types of volcanoes include shield, cinder cone and lava dome volcanoes.
All of these volcanoes produce different types of eruptions. Vesuvius’ eruption in A.D. 79 was named a Plinian
eruption, since Pliny was the first to document its shape and characteristics. Plinian eruptions are characterized
by the pine-tree-shaped clouds that form above the volcano’s crater, as well as the wide variety of hazardous
materials ejected by the volcano, such as ash, poisonous gases and lapilli.
2. These eruptions occur when the vast plates beneath the Earth collide and send heated material—in the form
of magma—through weak spots in the Earth’s crust. Vesuvius sits on the edge of the Eurasian plate, which is in
constant collision with the African plate, resulting in a great deal of volcanic activity.
3. The A.D. 79 eruption of Vesuvius occurred in several phases, emitting a wide variety of volcanic debris and
consequently leaving varying types of volcanic deposits. The layers of ash and tephra deposited by the eruption
of Vesuvius in A.D. 79 vary in thickness around the region. By analyzing how thick the layers are, what type
of volcanic material they contain, and how the deposits were distributed, geologists have been able to reconstruct
the different phases of the eruption.
4. A pyroclastic surge is a mixture of searing gas and rock fragments that takes the form of a great cloud. This cloud
moves easily up and over ridges and obstacles, and its effects are far-reaching in their devastation. A pyroclastic flow
is a high-speed avalanche of hot ash, rock fragments, and gas, which traveled down the sides of Vesuvius. These
flows can reach 1000 degrees F and move at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
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Page 15
The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section 5: Volcanism continued
Section
6: Pompeii and Vesuvius Today
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Pompeii today is a tourist destination, but more importantly, is an ongoing archeological
site. Pompeii continues to be one of the richest archeological sites on Earth, continually
providing new discoveries, and Vesuvius remains a site of great scientific interest.
Currently in a dormant phase, Vesuvius’ past eruptions help scientists understand other
volcanoes and future eruptions.
In this section of the exhibition is a virtual tour of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Journey
to Pompeii gives visitors an accurate—and evocative—picture of how these places looked
in A.D. 79 before—and during—the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.
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Guiding Questions
1. Why do we continue to excavate this area today?
2. Can scientists predict when Vesuvius will erupt again? When will it happen and how big will it be?
3. What is the Italian government doing to prepare residents for another eruption?
4. Where in the U.S. would a possible eruption occur?
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Pre-Activities
1. Explore what archaeologists are studying in the region today. Ask students to collect data and research to help
determine their findings. What laws have been put into place for historical sites like these and how does this
affect the work of archaeologists?
2. Watch the PBS Nova special, Deadly Shadows of Vesuvius to learn more about the efforts by the Italian
government to evacuate the region in case of another eruption. Have students make a list of procedures necessary
to evacuate the area.
3. Study Pompeii as a tourist destination. Make travel plans to and from the area outlining the specific sites of
interest. How long would it take you to get there? Why would you visit this area and what would you learn?
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Field Trip Activities
1. Before you enter the exhibition, ask students to think about the human stories being told throughout the exhibition.
If this were to happen today, what item or things would they choose to take with them and why?
2. Identify the stories told in Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption. As a class think of a new story to tell about Pompeii.
What artifacts would you include to illustrate this new story?
3. Ask students to rewrite history. What would they change about the A.D. 79 eruption and why?
© The Field Museum / Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section6: Pompeii and Vesuvius Today
Page 16
Section
6: Pompeii and Vesuvius Today (continued…)
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Post-Activities
1. Ask students to create an evacuation plan for their homes. Students should include a map detailing the
evacuation route.
2. Recent reports indicate that an abundance of tourists to Pompeii is causing the site to deteriorate. Write a paper
that states whether or not you think people should be able to visit Pompeii. Why is conservation of this site so
important?
3. Despite the efforts of the Italian government, people continue to reside in this very dangerous area. Have the
class debate the two sides of this issue.
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Answers to Guiding Questions
1. Archeologists continue to excavate this region because the area still holds a plethora of uncovered artifacts.
The artifacts may yield new insights into daily Roman life and or further the study of volcanoes.
2. Scientists cannot predict how big or when the next eruption will take place, but Vesuvius is an active volcano and
will erupt again.
3. The Italian government has made a portion of Mt. Vesuvius into a national park to help stop further construction
up its slopes. The government has also offered money to relocate individuals and families to a new location.
For those unable or unwilling to relocate, the government has an extensive evacuation plan for the area.
4. Most active volcanoes found in the United States are in the Aleutian Islands, the Alaskan Peninsula, the
Hawaiian Islands, and the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest.
© The Field Museum
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Page 17
The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 1 • Section6: Pompeii and Vesuvius Today continued
PART
TWO: Teacher and Student Resources
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Planning a field trip to the Museum? Download and print our field trip registration form at
www.fieldmuseum.org/education. And be sure to register your students for one of these exciting opportunities
during your visit.
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Just for Students
Reconstructing Pompeii
Uncover the fascinating culture and life of the ancient Romans, hidden under Vesuvius’ ashes for 2,000 years.
Students will learn about the science of eruptions and what archaeologists have learned about Roman daily life
through years of excavations.
Tuesdays, November 1–March 21, 2006; 10am–1pm SOLD OUT
Wednesdays, Jan 11–March 22, 2006; 10am–1pm
$3 per Chicago student, $4 per non-Chicago student
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Just for Teachers
Want to learn more about how to use this fascinating exhibition in your classroom?
Sign up now for these exciting professional development opportunities!
Pompeii: A View from Vesuvius
Uncover the buried treasures and human drama of the cataclysmic eruption of Vesuvius. You’ll explore the vibrant
society that disappeared beneath the ashes 2,000 years ago, view the exhibition and explore Museum resources and
field trip activities by using our Educator Guide. Earn 3 CPDUs.
Same Program Offered twice:
Saturday, October 22, 2005 or
Wednesday, January 11, 2006; 9am–noon
$40, members $35
Pompeii and the Environment
Journey to the beautiful countryside around Pompeii and learn more about the natural environment before and
after the eruption of Vesuvius. View the exhibition, take home classroom activities, and explore a variety of Harris
Educational Loan resources. Earn 3 CPDUs.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005; 5–8pm
$40, members $35
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The Field Museum Collections
The excavations conducted at Pompeii have yielded a plethora of artifacts, and The Field Museum’s own
collections contain a number of fine objects from the region. These pieces were collected by one of the Museum’s
founders and greatest benefactors, Edward Ayer.
For more information, visit:
www.fieldmuseum.org/research-collections/anthropology/research_sa.htm
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 2 • Teacher and Student Resources
Page 18
Teacher
and Student Resources (continued…)
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Related Museum Exhibitions
Traveling the Pacific
The Moving Earth
Related Harris Educational Loan Experience Boxes
Shake, Rumble, and Roll
Students can use a seismograph model in this hands-on Experience Box to find out how scientists study and learn about
the causes of earthquakes and volcanoes.
Volcanoes
Kids will investigate different volcanic lava samples and find out how they were formed. They’ll also see how volcanoes
can give us valuable insight into Earth’s constantly changing surface.
Living Together: Shelter
Explore the differences and similarities of homes and shelters around the world through this collection of activities,
games, and maps. Kit includes a video as well as models of traditional Chicagoan, Native Southwest American, and
Masai homes.
For more information call 312.665.7555 or log onto
www.fieldmuseum.org/harrisloan
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Audio Visual Material
Nova: Deadly Shadows of Vesuvius
In Search of History: Pompeii Secrets Revealed
The Private Lives of Pompeii
In the Shadow of Vesuvius
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Online Resources
www.nationalgeographic.com/forces of nature/pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/dynamic.htmlpubs.usgs.gov/gip/earthq1/
www.volcanoes.com
www.geology.sdsu/edu/how_volcanoes_work/
www.learner.org/exhibits/volcanoes/
www.archaeological.org
www.pbs.org/empires/romans
www.humanities-interative.org
www.archaeology.org/interactive/pompeii/
http://www.archaeology.co.uk/cwa/issues/cwa4/pompeii/eruption.htm
www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pompeii.htm
www.cib.na.cnr.it/remuna/mann/mann.html
www.pompeiisites.org
www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/tut/final/piny.html
http://weather.noaa.gov/
www.cbs.com/primetime/csi/
ENO.com (ENC provides the resources and support for math and science educators needed to help raise student
achievement in these vital subjects.
http://goenc.com/sample1.asp
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 2 • Teacher and Student Resources continued
Teacher
Notes:
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Books for Teachers
Amery, Colin. 2002. The Lost World of Pompeii. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum Press.
Canterella, Eva. 2003. A Day in Pompeii. Naples: Electa Napoli.
Chamberlain, Andrew and Micheal Parker Parson. 2001. Earthly Remains: The History and Science of Preserved
Human Bodies. New York: Oxford University Press.
Cooley, Alison. 2004. Pompeii. New York: Routlege.
D’Ambrosio, Antonio. 2001. Women and the Beauty of Pompeii. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum Press.
De Carolis, Ernesto. 2003. Vesuvius, A.D. 79: The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Los Angeles: J. Paul
Getty Museum Press.
Goodwin, Elaine M. 2002. Italian Mosaic: Projects for Home and Garden Inspired by Roman Imagery. North Pomfert,
VT: Trafalgar Square Pub.
Jacobelli, Luciana. 2003. Gladiators at Pompeii. Rome: “L’Erma” di Brerschneider.
Schminke, Hans-Ulrich. 2003. Volcanism. New York: Springer.
Sigurdsson, Haraldur. 2000. Encyclopedia of Volcanoes. San Diego: Academic Press.
Wallace-Hadrill, A. 1994. Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Princeton, N.J. Princeton University Press.
Zanker, Paul. 1998. Pompeii: Public and Private Life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Zeilinga de Boer, Jelle. 2002. Volcanoes in Human History: The Far Reaching Effects of Major Eruptions. Princeton,
NJ: Princeton University Press.
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Books for Students
Bisel, Sara Louis Clark. 1990. Secrets of Vesuvius. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Caselli, Giovanni. 1999. In Search Of Pompeii: Uncovering a Buried City. New York: Bedrick Books.
Connolly, Peter. 1990. Pompeii. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Deem, James M. 2005. Bodies from the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Deiss, Joseph Jay. 1995. The Town of Hercules: A Buried Treasure Trove. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum Press.
Dennis, Peter. 2001. Volcano. New York: Barron’s.
Griffey, Harriet. 1998. Volcanoes and other Natural Disasters. New York: DK Publishing.
Hart, Avery and Sandra Gallagher. 2002. Ancient Rome: Exploring the Culture, People and Ideas of this Powerful
Empire. Charlotte, VT: Williamson.
McIntosh, Dr. Jane. 2000. Archaeology.
Twain, Mark. 1964. Innocents Abroad. New York: Bantam Books.
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 2 • Teacher Notes continued
PART
THREE: Fun Facts:
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• Students went to school in public places, either under the porticoes of the forum or the gymnasium.
While in these spaces students usually sat on stools, but sometimes they would sit directly on the pavement.
• Students read their lessons on scrolls, or volumen, and carried them in a cylindrical like bag, or capsa. Students
wrote their notes with sharpened metal pens, called stylus, on wooden tablets coated with a mixture of
wax and pitch.
• In wealthier families, students would often have a tutor who attended classes with them and helped with
their homework.
• Boys and girls alike played games. Boys in Pompeii often imitated soldiers and magistrates by playing with swords,
toy horses, and small carts. Girls, on the other hand, played with terracotta or wooden dolls and small replicas
of household furniture.
• Although boys and girls had their own separate games, they also shared a particular game played with walnuts.
This very popular game consisted of throwing a walnut into a pile of three other nuts without making them fall.
Boys and girls also played a game very similar to Blind Man’s Bluff.
• The Romans ate three meals a day, ientaculum (breakfast), prandium (lunch), and coena (dinner).
• The Roman dining room, the triclinia, was furnished with three beds or couches arranged in the shape of a horse
shoe. The Romans would then eat while reclining on their left elbow. Since people ate with their hands, guests were
given a bowl of water to wash their hands before, after, and between courses.
• In the temples and homes of Pompeii, residents worshiped a variety of both Roman and eastern deities.
• Every private and public ceremony was conducted in the presence of the gods. Priests and priestesses celebrated
rituals to ensure that the rites were performed correctly.
• Inside Pompeii homes, people honored the lares, believed to be household gods who protected the hearth and home.
Often children passing into adolescence would leave their toys in homage to the gods.
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 3 • Fun Facts
Page 21
PART
FOUR: Walking Map
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The Field Museum • Educator Guide: Part 4 • Walking Map
Page 22
The exhibition was organized by the Ministero per i Beni e le Attivitá Culturali,
Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei, Soprintendenza per i Beni archeologici
delle province di Napoli e Caserta, Regione Campania.
Presented by