ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
In the year 79, the ancient Roman city of Pompeii vanished
beneath thick layers of ash that rained down from the
eruption of Mount Vesuvius. But what nature destroyed,
it also preserved.
POMPEII: The Exhibition
transports students
back in time to Pompeii in its better days, when daily life
was filled with routines of commerce, industry, and culture.
Recovered artifacts on display include coins and currency,
helmets, ornaments, shrines, and statues. Suddenly, the
floor shakes as the restless Earth begins to quake. An
immersive computer-generated experience simulates the
volcano’s sudden eruption, bringing earth science to life
in dramatic fashion. The resulting devastation leaves an
unforgettable impression.
HOW TO PREPARE
Students should know that this is exhibition is an extremely
rare opportunity to see the objects on display. The artifacts
represent a society and culture that was suddenly extin-
guished nearly 2,000 years ago. The information in this
guide will help orient students and prepare them for the
experience. Consider showing the short videos from our
recommended websites as a pre-visit activity found on page
6. Encourage your students to read the age-appropriate
suggested books from the list on page 6. These books will
acquaint your students with Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius
to help them make the most of their visit to the exhibit.
THE CASTS
A highlight of the exhibit is the presentation of human body
casts. Students are likely to be intrigued by them as they are
vivid and memorable portraits of human suffering. Pompeii
was first excavated in the mid-1700s by a Spanish engineer.
When removing layers of ash during the excavation, plaster
was used to fill in the voids between the ash layers that once
held human bodies. The resulting casts revealed the exact
body positions of the deceased. While the casts are just
plaster shapes, they are expressions of lives ended and so
deserve to be approached respectfully. The body casts
inside the exhibit are made from the original body cavities
excavated from Pompeii.
Educator’s Guide | PG 3
Photos courtesy of the
Soprintendenza Speciale per I Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompeii
