Herculaneum: Past and Future

In ad 79, the volcano Vesuvius erupted, burying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash and rock, and leaving them remarkably well preserved for centuries. While Pompeii has been extensively written about and popularized, the remains of its sister city, a smaller yet wealthier community close to the sea, are less widely known, but they have yielded spectacular archaeological evidence. This is the first major study of Herculaneum since that of Joseph Jay Deiss, published in 1966 and last revised in 1993. And in any language there have only ever been a handful of books available, mostly guidebooks and exhibition catalogues. Herculaneum is based on the latest excavation work and incorporates much new material that has revolutionized our understanding of the site. The book draws on a decade’s work with the Herculaneum Conservation Project which, thanks to the Packard Humanities Institute, has begun to reverse the neglect of previous years which had reduced this extraordinary site to a critical condition. Illustrated with more than 300 newly taken colour photographs and archive illustrations, plus eight spectacular 360-degree panoramas, it is the definitive overview for the general public of what we know and understand about Herculaneum, of what is still unknown and mysterious, and of the potential for future discoveries in both archaeological and political contexts.

Table of Contents:
CONTENTS 1. Geology and the Laws of Nature 2. The Politics of Discovery 3. Ruins Restored 4. The Town in Its Setting 5. The Public Face of the Town 6. Inhabitants 7. Standards of Living 8. High Life 9. Low Life 10. A Tale of Two Cities Epilogue: Saving the Past Further Reading Index Acknowledgments

About the Author :
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, OBE, was the Director of the British School at Rome and is now Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He is Director for the Packard Humanities Institute of its Herculaneum Conservation Project. His books include Suetonius: The Scholar and his Caesars (1985), Augustan Rome (1993) and Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum (1994), and he will be featured in an upcoming Discovery Channel film on Pompeii debuting Sunday, March 13, 2011.

Review :
'beautifully illustrates the history of the excavations and vividly brings to life the stories of the slaves and the elite.' ''shows how important this Roman town is to our understanding of everyday Roman life' It would be hard to imagine a more informative study of Herculaneum. Will remain the essential reference point for the study of Herculaneum for the forseeable future. It would be hard to imagine a more informative study of Herculaneum. 'this is a fantastic book ... the photograph is spectacular.  Author Andrew Wallace-Hadrill has copious credentials to make him an authority on this subject making it pretty hard to beat in this area.' 'A comprehensive and beautifully illustrated account of what we know and understand about Herculaneum' ''shows how important this Roman town is to our understanding of everyday Roman life' 'beautifully illustrates the history of the excavations and vividly brings to life the stories of the slaves and the elite.'