Herculaneum: A Roman Coastal Town

Herculaneum Overview

• Herculaneum, like Pompeii, was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
• Herculaneum is smaller than Pompeii and receives fewer visitors.
• Buildings are exceptionally well-preserved, including carbonized wooden doors and furniture.

Pre-Eruption Herculaneum

• Herculaneum was situated on a promontory extending into the bay.
• Water reached the base of the city walls.

The Eruption's Impact

• The eruption sent pyroclastic surges over Herculaneum.
• The city was buried under up to 20 meters of volcanic debris.
• The shoreline was pushed 400 meters farther out.
• The volcanic debris hardened, making excavation difficult.

Excavation Status

• Only about a quarter of the site has been uncovered to date.
• Initial explorations of the site occurred in the 18th century.

City Layout

• Herculaneum was laid out on a grid plan, a common design for Roman cities.
• The Decumanus Maximus served as the primary street.
• A series of narrower cardines cross the Decumanus Maximus.

Ancient Port Area

• The ancient port area is now paved over.
• Mount Vesuvius' eruption dramatically altered the topography of the area.
• Boat sheds with low arcades faced the beach and sea, likely used for storage.
• Approximately 300 people sought shelter in these boat sheds during the eruption.
• They were killed instantly by the pyroclastic surge.
• Forensic anthropologists determined the residents of Herculaneum were remarkably healthy with few cavities, a fish-rich diet, and were taller on average than the 20th-century population of Naples.
• Replicas of skeletons can be seen inside the doors of the boat sheds.

Terrace of Marcus Nonius Balbus

• A funerary altar and a replica of the statue commemorate Marcus Nonius Balbus.
• Marcus Nonius Balbus was Herculaneum's most distinguished citizen.
• He died nearly a century before the eruption and was cremated just outside the city walls.
• Marcus Nonius Balbus had been a praetor and provincial governor.
• He retired to Herculaneum and used his wealth to benefit the town.
• He financed the town's basilica and rebuilt its walls.
• Many residents of Herculaneum were descended from his freedmen and took his name.

House of the Telephus Relief

• It is named for a relief of the Greek hero Telephus.
• The atrium features L-shaped columns and a rebuilt roof.
• Marble oscilla, decorative discs that spun in the breeze, were present.
• This opulent residence may have been built for Marcus Nonius Balbus or a wealthy contemporary.

Palaestra

• It is an exercise yard largely buried beneath volcanic debris.
• Excavators discovered trunks of carbonized trees swept into a corner by the eruption.
• A tunnel provides access to tunnels dug by Bourbon excavators in the 18th century.
• A fountain shaped like a Hydra, an allusion to Hercules stood at the center of this space.

Cardo V and Thermopolia

• Walking up cardo 5 towards the decumanus Maximus, many well-preserved thermopolia can be seen.
• Thermopolia were fast food establishments.
• One features a marble counter where patrons were served.

Decumanus Maximus

• The Decumanus Maximus was Herculaneum's main street.
• It was a bustling thoroughfare with a portico filled with shoppers.
• Buildings on either side had reconstructed second stories in some places.
• Carbonized wooden beams have been reconstituted and set back into place.
• The town's public center was likely located around an arch at the far end of the street.