DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61617#0056
26
POMPEII
through the hill on which the city stood, so that the work-
men came to the ancient surface at only a few points. In the
part now excavated, the original level was disturbed in but
one place, near the temple of Zeus Milichius; here the in-
scriptions were probably found.
The excavation of the buried Campanian towns began, not at
Pompeii, but at Herculaneum, where in 1719 the workmen of
the Austrian general, Count Elbeuf, sunk a shaft, reaching the
ancient level at the rear of the stage of the theatre. The
current statement that Elbeuf discovered the site of Hercula-
neum by accident, his workmen being engaged in digging a
well, is erroneous. The location of the city was already known,
and Elbeuf was searching for antiquities. The error probably
originated in a misunderstanding of the Italian word pozzo,
which has a double meaning, “shaft,” and “well.”
At first little was accomplished, but after 1738 excavations
were carried on by King Charles III in a more systematic
manner. The director of these excavations, Rocco Gioacchino
de Alcubierre, in March, 1748, had occasion to inspect the
water channel mentioned above, and learned that at the place
called La Civita — which he thought was Stabiae — objects of
antiquity were often found. He came to the conclusion
that this site was more promising than that of Herculaneum,
where the excavations just then were yielding little of value.;
the result of his recommendation was that on the thirtieth of
the same month excavations were commenced at Pompeii, with
twelve workmen.
The first digging was done north of Nola Street, near the
Casa del Torello ; then the men were set at work on the Street
of Tombs, near the Herculaneum Gate; and a part of the
Amphitheatre also was cleared. In 1750 the work was stopped,
because the results were thought to be unimportant.
Attention was again directed to Pompeii in 1754, when work-
men engaged in constructing the highway that runs just south
of the city discovered a number of tombs. About the same
time, west of the Amphitheatre, the extensive establishment of
Julia Felix, arranged like a villa, and some buildings lying north
of it, were excavated ; but they were all covered up again, as
POMPEII
through the hill on which the city stood, so that the work-
men came to the ancient surface at only a few points. In the
part now excavated, the original level was disturbed in but
one place, near the temple of Zeus Milichius; here the in-
scriptions were probably found.
The excavation of the buried Campanian towns began, not at
Pompeii, but at Herculaneum, where in 1719 the workmen of
the Austrian general, Count Elbeuf, sunk a shaft, reaching the
ancient level at the rear of the stage of the theatre. The
current statement that Elbeuf discovered the site of Hercula-
neum by accident, his workmen being engaged in digging a
well, is erroneous. The location of the city was already known,
and Elbeuf was searching for antiquities. The error probably
originated in a misunderstanding of the Italian word pozzo,
which has a double meaning, “shaft,” and “well.”
At first little was accomplished, but after 1738 excavations
were carried on by King Charles III in a more systematic
manner. The director of these excavations, Rocco Gioacchino
de Alcubierre, in March, 1748, had occasion to inspect the
water channel mentioned above, and learned that at the place
called La Civita — which he thought was Stabiae — objects of
antiquity were often found. He came to the conclusion
that this site was more promising than that of Herculaneum,
where the excavations just then were yielding little of value.;
the result of his recommendation was that on the thirtieth of
the same month excavations were commenced at Pompeii, with
twelve workmen.
The first digging was done north of Nola Street, near the
Casa del Torello ; then the men were set at work on the Street
of Tombs, near the Herculaneum Gate; and a part of the
Amphitheatre also was cleared. In 1750 the work was stopped,
because the results were thought to be unimportant.
Attention was again directed to Pompeii in 1754, when work-
men engaged in constructing the highway that runs just south
of the city discovered a number of tombs. About the same
time, west of the Amphitheatre, the extensive establishment of
Julia Felix, arranged like a villa, and some buildings lying north
of it, were excavated ; but they were all covered up again, as