The Buried Treasures of Pompeii Pompeii and the Roman Empire

Pompeii was part of the Roman Empire. Ancient Rome was a powerful and important civilization that ruled much of Europe for nearly 1,000 years. Rome's culture still has an impact in the Western world today. The basis for much of western culture comes from Ancient Rome, especially in areas such as government, engineering, architecture, language, and literature.

http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_rome.php History of Pompeii

• Pompeii was an ancient Roman city, buried when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in the year 78 AD.

• 2000 years later, archaeologists uncovered the city which was buried under 20 feet of rock and ashes.

• When archaeologists dug out the city, they learned a great deal from the ruins because it had been so well preserved.

(www. http://rome.mrdonn.org/pompeii.html)

This is an artist’s rendition of what Pompeii may have looked like in all its glory.

To See a Representation of this Kind of Volcanic Eruption, click on the following website: http://www.harcourts chool.com/activity/po mpeii/pmpErup.html Archaeologists have worked for a long time to unearth the Ancient City of Pompeii. This is what the ruins of Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the background look like today.

There have been many interesting and important discoveries made in Pompeii which have given us clues to how these people lived.

Street with Crossing Steps Steam Bath at the Forum Public Fountain Statue of a Woman Some of the most important discoveries have come in the area of “ART!” Archaeologists have found hundreds of “FRESCOES” in the homes of the wealthy people of Pompeii—some of the earliest “interior decorating and design” anywhere in the world! Thanks to historians we have descriptions of the technique of the fresco. Frescoes are paintings that are mixed with plaster so that they actually become part of the wall! This is how the process works:

•Step 1: 1-3 coats of a mixture of sand and lime (mortar) were applied to a wall. •Step 2: 1-3 coats of more lime, this time mixed with finely powdered marble, were applied to create a mirror- like sheen on the surface. •Step 3: Sheets of lead were inserted into the wall to prevent capillary action that would allow moisture to damage the pigment. •Step 4: While the lime-marble powder mix was still wet, pigments were applied to the fresh (or fresco) surface. Primary colors were applied first by making light incisions on the fresh plaster surface. Softer, pastel colors were applied when the plaster was dry. http://www.metmuseum.org/ Mosaic of Street Musicians Fresco at the Marketplace

Garden Room Fresco at the Villa of Livia

This Fresco decorated the walls of a garden. What do you notice about this fresco? What colors do you see? Would you want something like this in your home? What kinds of animals and flowers are represented? Any other observations? Suggested Art Project: Design Your Own Fresco!!

Supplies Needed: E-Z Form Plaster Cloth Wrap ($3.99/Hobby Lobby), Pre-cut into 4”X6” rectangles—one for each child Newspaper or Table cloths to go under art project—will get messy! Paper Plates for Drying Paint Brushes Tempera or Watercolor Paints Large Bowls for Water Paper Towels

Have the children imagine they are ancient Roman citizens and are decorating the walls of their homes. Give each child a 4X6 piece of dampened E-Z Form Plaster Cloth. Using the back end of their paint brush have them lightly “carve” (slight impression/indentation) a design into the plaster. Then, they can use paints to decorate their fresco. The frescoes should dry by the end of the day so the children can take them home.