Herculaneum, an ancient Roman town, opens up a remarkable window into the past, frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum's unique preservation under volcani...
RECOMMENDED DURATION
2 hours
Timings
8:30am–5pm
VISITORS PER YEAR
300000
EXPECTED WAIT TIME - STANDARD
0-30 mins (Peak), 0-30 mins (Off Peak)
EXPECTED WAIT TIME - SKIP THE LINE
1-2 hours (Peak), 0-30 mins (Off Peak)
UNESCO YEAR
1997
Did you know?
It was found that the Vesuvius eruption caused the brains of one of the victims to turn to a glass-like material. This was because the brain had heated up very quickly before cooling down just as fast, thereby crystallizing brain matter.
Unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum was engulfed by a pyroclastic surge that carbonized and preserved wooden structures, furnishings, and even food.
The ancient Romans believed that Herculaneum was founded by the god Hercules on his return from Iberia.
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The house gets its name from a particularly beautiful mosaic depicting Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, and his wife Amphitrite. This mosaic is made from vibrantly colored glass paste. Uniquely, the House of Neptune and Amphitrite is connected to what is considered the best-preserved shop, or caupona, in all of Herculaneum and Pompeii.
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupts, coating and preserving Herculaneum and Pompeii in volcanic material. The town is instantly destroyed, and most inhabitants perish. Vesuvius impacts Herculaneum and Pompeii differently, however. While Pompeii is affected in the first phase of pumice rain, Herculaneum faces the deadly onslaught of the second phase, where pyroclastic flows engulf the town.
Read more about Herculaneum and Vesuvius
After a period of earthquakes in the years leading up to 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius unleashed a powerful eruption. A massive plume of ash, rock, and superheated gases shot into the sky. Fast-moving clouds of hot ash and gas reached incredibly high temperatures, instantly vaporizing people and leaving behind only skeletal remains in Herculaneum. The city was also buried under a deep layer of volcanic debris.
From the 20th century, under the guidance of the archeologist Amedeo Maiuri, Herculaneum was excavated with a scientific and more sensitive approach. Even today, archaeological work continues at Herculaneum, uncovering new details about the town and its inhabitants.
Vis-a-vis Vesuvius, Herculaneum is located on its western side, closer in proximity to the volcano than Pompeii. At its deepest point, the intense pyroclastic surge that engulfed Herculaneum buried it within some 30m of volcanic matter. This ensured that it was better preserved than Pompeii.
Now, due to the phenomenon of bradyseism (where volcanic activity uplifts or descends the earth’s crust due to the filling or emptying of an underground magma chamber), some parts of Herculaneum are believed to be 4m below sea level.
This has also resulted in Herculaneum being situated lower than its neighboring towns like Portici. In fact, the modern town of Ercolano (where the ruins are found) is almost built upon Herculaneum — so a complete excavation of Herculaneum would mean demolishing the settlements in present-day Ercolano.
Herculaneum’s street plan and city layout followed the grid-like system of Pompeii, with the intersecting north-south and east-west streets. The main roads were called decumanis maximus and decumanis inferior. The crossroads were called the cardo.
Unlike Pompeii, which was a bustling port, Herculaneum was a residential town that was smaller in size. However, proximity to the seaside also meant that it had a thriving maritime culture, though at a smaller scale than in Pompeii. Furthermore, Herculaneum lacked a definitive wall. Instead, the sea itself acted as a wall on each side of the promontory, creating a natural barrier.
Map guide to navigating Herculaneum
Herculaneum was a wealthier town in comparison to Pompeii, with its residents primarily being members of the Roman aristocracy. However, this didn’t exclude the common folk like artisans, traders and slaves — the evidence of their lives lies in the preserved shops, taverns and homes. Public spaces were smaller compared to Pompeii, suggesting a focus on private residences and leisure pursuits.
The presence of boat sheds (fornici) along the shoreline highlights Herculaneum's connection to the sea. Fishing, maritime trade, and perhaps even leisure boating could have been part of the town's lifeblood.
From the remarkably well-preserved organic remains (like feces), scientists were able to piece together the Ancient Roman diet: the proximity to the sea meant that seafood made up 70% of what they ate. Additionally, dietary patterns varied between genders — men predominantly consumed cereals and seafood, while women favored meat and dairy products.
Unfortunately, Herculaneum and Pompeii were not the only towns to face the full fury of Vesuvius in 79 AD. There were at least 3 other different towns that suffered similar fates:
Oplontis: Oplontis is famous for its Roman villas, particularly the luxurious Villa Poppaea. This seaside villa was buried and preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Villa Poppaea was a massive estate with over 100 rooms, stunning frescoes, and expansive gardens, showcasing the wealth of its owner.
Boscoreale: Another of Vesuvius' victims, Boscoreale is known for its lavish villas. These residences were decorated with high-quality frescoes, some considered the finest Roman examples ever found.
Stabiae: While Stabiae was discovered before Pompeii in 1749, unlike its more famous neighbors, it was reburied for a period hindering tourism. The villas open to visitors today are Villa Adriana and Villa San Marco.
You no longer have to worry about Herculaneum being the neglected child of Vesuvius. There’s plenty to read, hear and watch on this fascinating site.
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Books
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History Hack: Herculaneum
Due to the hardened volcanic material coating Herculaneum, experts believe that not even 1 acre of the town has been unearthed, as opposed to 55 acres in Pompeii.
There were approximately 4,000-5,000 people residing in Herculaneum at the time of the Vesuvius eruption. Most residents were well-to-do and possibly had noble lineage. This is evidenced in the lavish two and three-storeyed homes, a sight that was rare in ancient Rome.
It was mostly owned by members of the Roman elite who inhabited these luxurious living spaces. For example, it was rumored that Julius Caesar’s father-in-law Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus owned the Villa of the Papyri. Similarly, the House of the Relief of Telephus was said to be owned by Marcus Nonius Balbus, the Governor of Crete and part of present-day Libya.
The cesspits of the town were excellently preserved due to the hard volcanic material that entered the drains via pipes. Stool samples were salvaged from these cesspits and helped scientists ascertain the eating patterns of the population — with seafood, meat and dairy products topping the list.
The discovery of Herculaneum was a complete accident. A local farmer, while digging a well in the nearby town of Ercolano, chanced upon some bronzes and rare objects. When the news of the find reached Prince d'Elbeuf, an Austrian army commander stationed nearby, he ordered further exploration. But Karl Weber was considered one of the first archaeologists to explore Herculaneum with a more scientific approach in the mid-1700s. His approach was further refined by Amedeo Maiuri in the 20th century.
A pyroclastic surge, which is a superheated gas and ash cloud, swept through the town. The intense heat instantly carbonized organic materials like wood, food, and even some textiles, essentially baking them in place. This process preserved their shape and details in a remarkable way.
1. Nearly every house had a latrine, and shops were sometimes built into the villas (as in the case of the House of Neptune).
2. Herculaneum’s basilica has a list of 2000 exclusively male names, perhaps hinting at all the members of the population.
3. Modern scientists and archeologists introduced falcons to curb the pigeon population. The pigeons were damaging Herculaneum’s structures with their acidic droppings.
On an experimental basis, the Italian proposes to allow tourists in small groups along with a guide to access the theater. However, the dates of this have not been confirmed yet.
