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sources from Pompeii & Herculaneum
for everyday life
HEALTH
Water Supply &
Sanitation
Lifestyle
Archaeological finds
Archaeological Finds
Archealogical finds encompassed body remains found both in
Pompeii and Herculaneum
Estelle Lazer and Dr. Sarah Bisel are two archaeologists who
studied the body remains at both Pompeii and Herculaneum
Health finds through Body remains is Keys to unlocking vital
information in concerns with victims health.
Once-were inhabitants that occupied both Pompeii and
Herculaneum through the remains of organic material, substance
and artefacts.
It reveals that diet and activity both, leisure and competition was
associated to both towns implying general health was adequate
given this period of eruption on AD 79 and prior.
Dr. E. Lazer
Dr. S. Bisel
Plaster casts
Dr. Sara Bisel 1982 - 88
Is a Classic archaeologist and anthropologist contributed to unlocking information
about body remains in Herculaneum. She explained “with exposure came quick
deterioration”
Bisel revealed in her findings that a lack of children's bones was a cause of low
fertility rates or they decayed quick due to being smaller.
Her dental studies found that teeth in body remains were quite good due to a high
seafood diet which incorporated calcium, however gum disease was present depicting
from worn teeth, coming from the possibility of grindstone in the bread they ate.
Bones that were studied is evident that lead poisoning possibly from the lead pipes
caused death as well. Other uses of lead through her studies include medication e.g
to treat bleeding, whiten skin, treatment of ulcers and wounds,
Her studies stated that all bones accounted for levels of nourishment and was a good
indicator for a good diet (height of bones)
Consumption of animal protein while others had high levels of Strontium and other
fluorides in their diets indicating diets of vegetable protein and seafood.
Her examinations on body remains is significant for Pompeii and Herculaneum's
inhabitants and their health.
Estelle Lazer 1986 - 1994
Lazer’s research included statistical studies based on skulls, hips, pelivs,
legs, arm bones to established the makeup of the population.
Through techniques of forensic medicine, physical anthropology used to
determine sex, age of death height signs of disease and population
affinities of the victims
Her work in Sydney 31st of October 1994 was the cast of a body from an
early exhibition from Pompeii. “the Lady of Oplontis” was studied
alongside a multidisciplinary team of radiologist, anatomist and forensic
dentist.
Her studies indicated that 11% of examined bodies showed Hormonal
disease, HFI
Her studies also indicated that main cause of death was asphyxiation or
thermal shock
Lazer also examined work at house of Menander
Through her studies, a supportive connection through citizens has
revealed information in regards to health.
The Lady of Oplontis
X ray was performed on 31st October 1994 in Sydney, was the first ever
analysis of the victim of the eruption.
A cast was made from transparent epoxy resin for the purpose of visual
inspection and associated artefacts including a gold bracelet on the arm of
the victim.
No signs of dental or medical intervention. All teeth were erupted and
roots were complete.
A healed fracture could be observed in the left radius, consistent with
having fallen on an outstretched hand.
Studies shown that the bone had healed with some irregularity and slight
arthritic change
X-ray of Oplontis
Pelvic scan of
Oplontis
Head scan of
Oplontis
Plaster Casts
Using the method developed by Giuseppe Fiorelli from 1863, plaster was
poured into cavities at pressure forming statue like moulds of the dead
body positions. Posers oif the cast reveal manner of death and time taken.
Photographer Peter Baxter took 41 complete casts revealing half of frozen
impositions consistent of the puglistic pose from exposure to extremely
high temperatures at time of death.
Transparent epoxy resin cast now replaces normal plaster for this produce
to examine in further detail the archeaological evidence for enhanced
source study.
Plaster casts encompasses intricate information to reveal about the health
of Pompeii and Herculaneum’s inhabitants.
Plaster casts
Citizen Lifestyle
Citizen lifestyle of Pompeii and Herculaneum encompassed sport,
Food and dining.
Citizens would produce and eat their own food including olives,
wine, garum, grapes, peaches, wheat, barley, and live stock
including lamb, fish, scallops and cockle. Produce was sold in
markets and also exported.
People would exercise and compete at the Palaestra
Due to diet and sport, it has played a major importance of health
of Pompeii and Herculaneum's inhabitants
Food & Dining
Palaestras
Organic Remains
Food & Dining
200 public eating and drinking places have been identified in Pompeii. A Thermopolium was a
common place for a snack. It had marble cover counter in a large dolia holding hot food and drinks
for self serving
Bars and taverns well also located and identified but were clustered near entrance gates and
amphitheatres for regular business. Many Pompeiians were heavy drinkers due to graffiti inscribing
“ cheers! we drink like wineskins”
Bakeries were also common. 30 bakeries have been located in Pompeii and ovens and carbonized
bread still stands today.
Most had 3 meals a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner accompanied by copious amounts of wine and
desert either sweet (cake) or savoury (pickled onions)
Rich would cook their own food on a tripod heated with fire and the poor would either pay local
people who owned ovens to food it for them.
At dinner parties people would eat lying down and be arranged in hierarchical order at the table.
Cookbook by Apicus with 500 recipes revealed that Romans liked their food sweet and spicy
On the basis of food, it is believed that the citizens had a high balanced deit with the natural
resources that were available during the time overall effecting their good health.
Local Thermopolium
Dining
arrangements
Mosaic of food
resources
Palaestra’s
The ‘Palaestra’ was the place for exercise and encompassed physical facilities to
achieve health.
The importance of sport can be gauged by the size of the main Palaestra.
The large Palaestra in Pompeii was 107 by 141 metre rectangle,
The Herculaneum palaestra was 110 metres and a depth of 70.
Palaestra had activities including athletics, wrestling, javelin and discus throwing which
meant the colonnaded room was large enough for such activities.
Both Palaestra in both towns had pools. The Herculaneum pool were shaped like a
cross, 50metres in length and cross arm was 30
U.E. Paoli, “Vita Romana” in Carpasso pp 35 states that it was “…like a majestic
columned cella, or in a portion of a temple…all was spacious and imposing.”
Both Palaestra's featured statues of young men and the ideal body.
Through evidence the palaestra played a vital role within the health of citizens in
everyday life.
Palaestra
Bronze Runner, house
of the Papyri
Organic Remains
Archaeological evidence suggests that the inhabitants of Pompeii and
Herculaneum had a well balanced and highly Nutritious diet.
Towns grew most of the produce and was available to purchase.
Many organic material were carbonized including dates, figs, prunes, almonds,
chestnuts, olives, myrtle berry and whole loaves of bread.
3 sources of food remains were examined: waste from food preparation, waste
from latrines and remains of burnt sacrificial offerings found in the garden.
Such remains included olive stones, peach stones, fish bones, sheep, pig and
cattle bones
Through the findings is bases a theory how citizens ate a wide variety of food
and also held many occupations that it’s prime focus was for produce and
edible resources. Farming was a primary occupation
This illustrates that organic material gives insight of the health of Pompeii and
Herculaneum's inhabitants
Carbonized bread
Carbonized
Pomegranate
Carbonized nuts
Water Supply
Water supply was a main necessity in citizen life of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Citizens accessed water from numerous points within the town including
water fountains, fulleries Public/Private Latrines and sewerage systems.
Water came from the Mountain Aquaduct into water tower at highest point,
then gravity fed into pipes that served the towns water for pubic and private
use.
Level of sanitation was high, water availability and cleanliness contributed to
the factor
latrines
fountains
baths
Public latrines
Public & Private
Latrines
Public latrines/toilets or foricae (top left)
were provided publicly at the Forum and the
Palaestra. Toilets were continually flushed
then waste would travel in underground
pipes and sewerage systems out to the river
(Pompeii) or the ocean (Herculaneum)
Private toilets were commonly found in
houses (both bottom left, Villa Oplonti).
They were flushed with either hand or
continual with piped aquaducts to house.
toilets often near kitchen sharing same
pipeline. Toilets up to six seaters
Cantranella and Jacobelli state “The latrines
annexed to the thermal baths in Pompeii a
certain aesthetic quality.”
Private latrines
(middle & bottom)
These photographs of latrines illustrates how
human excrement was deposited depicting
high levels of sanitation
Drinking Fountains
fountains were a main source of drinking water.
There are public fountains in the streets of both towns. Pompeii has 42
excavated fountains and Herculaneum only has revealed 3.
Water flowed out through decorative spout as revealed in picture (bottom
right). And travel through pipeline underground.
The House of Octavius Quartio extensively featured all range of waterworks
including spouting jets, gushing waterfalls, channels, pools and nymphaeums.
Fountains were either accompanied with mosaics, engravings or decorative
carvings to ornament the feature
With numerous drinking fountains located, it illustrates how citizens access to
water was copious in order to maintain their good lifestyle of health.
Private fountain,
Herculaneum
Public fountain, Pompeii
Fresco in fountain
Visiting the Baths in Pompeii &
Herculaneum
Visiting the baths or thermae was common
in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Usually opened
around midday
Shelves in
Apodyteruim
Decorative walls
Baths were a place for relaxation, socializing
& leisure activities
There were 5 stages that citizens followed in
the baths
Baths found in Pompeii included Stabian
bath (oldest), the forum baths, central baths
and Sarno Baths while in Herculaneum there
are Suburban Baths and forum baths
Private baths were uncommon but were
present featured in the house of Julia Felix
who ran a small private bath
Citizens brought their slaves to perform
certain tasks including skin scraping and
carrying clothes
Floor mosaic
Often baths were decorated with elegant
stucco work, mosaics and graffiti with a
marine theme (top right and bottom left)
Baths located in Pompeii and Herculaneum
demonstrate the cleanliness and overall
health of both towns
Apodyterium
Relaxation, Socialising & Leisure Activities
People would play sport, indulge in a range of therapies such as
massage, stroll in the gardens , listen to music, recite poetry and
have sexual activity
Multiple forms of pornographic graffiti would have simulated men
to perform sexual activity at the baths
A graffito describes Apelles, a waiter dining ‘ most pleasantly with
Dexter and the slave of Caesar’
An erotica scene within
male baths
Roman game balls
used for Harpatsum
5 Stages of the Baths
The first stage of the bath began in the changeroom (apodyterium)
where clothes were kept on shelves. The bather would then enter the
hot room (caldarium) a vaulted steamer to 40 degrees. Then the
bather would go into the sweating room (Iaconium). Then the bather
would travel into the normal room (tepidarium ) which was used as a
transition space for adjusting temperatures. Then the bather would
finish off into a cold circular bath (frigidarium) which would cool off
the remaining temperature and close up the open skin pores.
A Heating system
in the Thermae
A Frigidarium
An Apodyterium