Rivista di Studi Pompeiani, vol. XXIII, 2012

Just out (or so...), the new volume (23, 2012) of the Rivista di Studi Pompeiani.

ISBN: 978-88-913-0493-3 Rilegatura: Brossura Pagine: 240, 300 ill. B/N
Formato: 22,5 x 28,5 cm
Prezzo: 250,00 €

 More info here or here.

De Carolis, E., F. Esposito, C. Falcucci, D. Ferrara (2012) : “Riflessioni sul quadro della Venere in Conchiglia di Pompei: dal mito al lavoro dei pictores”, RSP, 23, 7‑24.

Ciarallo, A.M. (2012) : “Gli elementi vegetali raffigurati negli affreschi della Casa della Venere in Conchiglia”, RSP, 23, 25‑27.

Tammisto, A. (2012) : “Gli uccelli nelle pitture di giardino della Casa della Venere in Conchiglia”, RSP, 23, 29‑38.

Gallo, A. (2012) : “Il santuario cantonale della Regio IX di Pompei (IX 1, 29). La decodificazione dei simboli”, RSP, 23, 39‑59.

Caso, L. (2012) : “L’Artemis nella decorazione da Pompei, VI Insula Occidentalis, 10”, RSP, 23, 61‑69.

Rauws, J.E. (2012) : “Decorations on the restored Second Style Wall painting of Oplontis Room 23 north”, RSP, 23, 71‑78.  

Napolitano, M.C. (2012) : “La Villa cd. « Secondo Complesso » di Stabiae”, RSP, 23, 79‑88.  

Nappo, S.C. (2012) : “L’ edificio di Murecine a Pompei: un esempio di architettura ricettiva alla foce del Sarno”, RSP, 23, 89‑101.

Morisco, M. (2012) : “Gli Inventari del Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli”, RSP, 23, 103‑107.

Castillo, E. (2012) : “El reciclaje de los materiales constructivos y la utilizacìon de los escombros en la Casa de la Diana Arcaizante”, RSP, 23, 112‑125.

Pastore, U. (2012) : “Studio e riproduzione a calco degli scheletri dell’antica marina di Ercolano”, RSP, 23, 137‑139.

De Carolis, E., A.M. Ciarallo, M.R. Senatore (2012) : “Nuovi saggi archeologici eseguiti a Pompei. Rinvenimento di resti di viti e di un palo di sostegno al di sotto dei depositi dell’ eruzione del 79 d.C.”, RSP, 23, 140‑142.

Camardo, D., M. Notomista (2012) : “Recenti scoperte archeologiche ad Ercolano”, RSP, 23, 143‑155.

De Simone, G.F., A. De Luca (2012) : “Dati archeozoologici da Pollena Trocchia e alcune considerazioni sull’ alimentazione nella Campania tardo antica”, RSP, 23, 159‑162.

Albore Livadie, C., C. Cicirelli, U. Heussner, P. Kastenmeier, M.T. Pappalardo (2012) : “Le analisi dendrocronologiche a Poggiomarino nel 2011-2012”, RSP, 23, 164‑168.

Cascella, S., G. Vecchio (2012) : “Nota preliminare sulla scoperta della villa rustica di C. Ollius Ampliatus: suburbio sud-orientale di Neapolis (Ponticelli)”, RSP, 23, 169‑179.

New (and freely accessible!) contributions on Vesuvian sites

I would like to draw your attention to some new contributions authored by the Apolline Project research group. For those who are not acquainted with this project, it operates since 2004, mostly on the ancient territories of Neapolis and Nola.

Its flagship component is the full excavation and study of the Roman villa with baths in the town of Pollena Trocchia. The main publication of the artefacts found there is now out, others on trade patterns have been submitted a long time ago and will be out soon. A glimpse of what we are up to recently can be seen here.

Since many years though, the project operates on many other sites as well. The Suor Orsola Benincasa University in Naples, which is one of the hosting institutions, requested some quick reports which recently have been published (unfortunately the composition done there has not been very careful, thus we are providing our error-free versions as well). These contributions include:

- A general report on the dig in Pollena Trocchia, with new data on the burials.
- A preliminary report on a suburban villa of Nola, noticeable especially for the pottery analysis.
- The study of a Medieval church (with Roman spolia) in the Nolan countryside.

We are also making accessible a contribution on the conservation and future planning for the archaeological sites of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, and the so-called Villa of Augustus in Somma Vesuviana. The articles dates back to 2007, but I think it is still thought-provoking.

For those who are enjoying the British Museum exhibition and are curious about the Dionysiac relief from Herculaneum, my thoughts on that are available in this contribution (towards the end of it).

The complete list of our publications is available here, more frequent updates on what we are up to are on our channels in the social media.

The Apolline Project is an open network, if you want to join, contact us.

N. De Carlo, V. Castaldo, "Roccarainola, località Cammarano: una chiesa altomedievale e i resti di una villa romana",Annali. Università degli Studî Suor Orsola Benincasa 2011-2012: 245-278 [ISSN: 2037-5867] (official version) (error-free version)

M. Lubrano, G. Boemio, S. Sannino, “Note preliminari sulla villa romana di via Saccaccio a Nola”, Annali. Università degli Studi di Napoli Suor Orsola Benincasa 2011-2012: 219-243 [ISSN 2037-5867] (official version) (error-free version)

C.S. Martucci, G. Boemio, G. Trojsi, G.F. De Simone, "Pollena Trocchia (NA), località Masseria De Carolis. L'analisi dei reperti per la ricostruzione del contesto economico e sociale della villa romana", Amoenitas II (2012): 87-117 [ISBN: 978-88-240-1335-2]

G.F. De Simone, M. Lubrano, M. Torino, A. De Luca, A. Perrotta, C. Scarpati, La villa con terme di Pollena Trocchia in località Masseria De Carolis: architettura, abitanti, eruzioni, Annali. Università degli Studî Suor Orsola Benincasa 2011-2012: 195-217 [ISSN: 2037-5867]

Call for participants - Spring break classes and Summer Fieldwork

Call for participants – Spring break classes, Summer boot camp in physical anthropology, and excavation of a Roman villa with baths on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius

The Apolline Project is an open research network, which sheds light on the hitherto neglected past of the area to the north of Mt. Vesuvius, in the bay of Naples. The project has run actively since 2004 and has several components, with current major work focusing on a Medieval church and a Roman villa with baths buried by the volcanoclastic debris of Vesuvius.

The Apolline Project is now open to applications for the 2013 lab and field activities, which can be divided into three groups: lab works during Spring break, Summer fieldwork at the Roman villa with baths in Pollena Trocchia, Summer School in Human Osteology at the Medieval church in Pernosano.

For further information, please go to: www.apollineproject.org/dig.html

We would be very grateful if professors would be so kind as to forward this message to the relevant university mailing lists and to the students who might be interested in participating.

If your institution is interested in taking part to the research network, please send us a message at info@apollineproject.org.

Messages to the list are archived at http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/archives/classicists.html

The jazzy side of Vesuvius

The Pomigliano Jazz Festival is the largest annual jazz event in Campania and one of the most renowned in Italy. Most importantly, the Festival is becoming a way to promote heritage and environment in the Neapolitan countryside.

The Festival begins tonight with a concert by Incognito and Mario Biondi at the Roman amphitheatre at Avella and continues with other events at the Medici castle in Ottaviano and at the early Christian churches in Cimitile.
Sharing the same vision of alternative tourism and holistic promotion of cultural heritage, the Apolline Project now partners with the Pomigliano Jazz Festival to promote the archaeological sites on the northern slope of Vesuvius. Next Sunday, tours will depart from Naples to visit the archaeological sites, the side cones of Vesuvius, castles, monasteries, and the rich vineyards.

Amoenitas - Journal on Roman Villas

The second issue of Amoenitas, the journal on Roman Villas published by the Istituto Poligrafico Zecca dello Stato, is finally out. This issue encompasses several articles on Vesuvian villas (click on the pictures below to read the table of contents).
The journal can be bought here, send a message to info@apollineproject.org if you want to receive a copy of Martucci et alii's contribution on the pottery assemblage from the villa with baths of Pollena Trocchia.

Vesuvinum 2012 - ancient and modern wine on the slopes of Vesuvius

Tomorrow, the 5th of September, will start the 5th edition of "Vesuvinum - I Giorni del Lacryma Christi", which is the most important event organised by Vesuvian wine producers.
Significantly, the opening ceremony will take place at the so-called Villa of Augustus in Somma Vesuviana, near the 2nd c. AD Dionysiac frescoes and stuccos and next to the late antique cella vinaria. On Saturday, a small conference on Roman agriculture around Vesuvius will take place at the Medici castle in the town of Ottaviano where also a photography exhibition on the archaeological sites of Somma Vesuviana and Pollena Trocchia is set. On Saturday and Sunday, visitors can book a visit to both archaeological sites.

With this event, we hope to create a stronger connection with wine producers and work together to engage the general public in preserving and promoting this neglected area.

On Dionysos and Vesuvius on this side of the volcano, see this contribution on Academia.edu

Fieldwork opportunity in September

The ApollineProject is a multi-disciplinary research project which seeks to bring to light the hitherto neglected past of the area to the north of  Mt. Vesuvius. The project has several components but major excavation work focuses upon two sites; a well preserved post-79 AD Roman baths at PollenaTrocchia and an early Medieval church at Roccarainola. Those interested in adding to their experience of archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation practice will find our September programme of great interest. It involves two weeks of major excavations at the church at Roccarainola and a further two of lab work at Pollena Trocchia. The programme is ideal for students who may have limited archaeological experience but wish to gain more while working in a range of different environments. Classes will be given on working with pottery finds and there will be plenty of opportunity to work with freshly discovered material. Opportunities to engage with the archaeology of death and burial also exist as the result of a number of finds already made at Roccarainola.

Subsequently, the baths at Pollena give participants the opportunity to study the artefacts of a well preserved and large scale Roman site. What makes this opportunity different is the time-span offered to students (Roman and Medieval) and the chance to work on two very different sites in a single month long programme. However, those wishing to stay only for one of the excavations may do so. The excavations at ‘Rocca’ (the church) takes place from September 3^rd until the 16^th while the work at Pollena (bath-house) take place from the 17^th until the 30^th. Good accommodation is provided (with an internet connection) and included within the price along with all tuition. It should be noted that while food is not included, living costs in the area are very modest.

The deadline for applications is 26^th August 2012, but earlier applications will be considered and processed within two days.

If you wish to know more, you will find additional information on our website along with the application form which is submitted electronically.

http://www.apollineproject.org/dig.html 

Apolline Project – Call for participants

For those seeking experience in archaeological fieldwork this summer, the Apolline Project in the Campania region of Italy is now welcoming applications from students of all levels to participate in a major Roman dig. The site of Pollena Trocchia centres on a post-AD 79 bathhouse which seems likely to be part of a larger villa complex. The nearby sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum have made the powers of preservation of volcanic eruptions famous and Pollena Trocchia is another demonstration of this. The various eruptions down the centuries have helped archaeologists piece together a clear chronology; periods of habitation are interrupted by volcanic deposits that are often metres in depth. A diverse range of finds have been excavated and those participants with a special interest in human remains, ceramics, architecture, building materials and paleobotany will likely be well catered for.

The excavation runs from June 11^th to July 27^th and participants must stay for a minimum of two weeks but there is no maximum; you are free to stay for the entire duration of the excavation if you so choose. For American and other non-European participants the fee is 350USD and for British participants 200GBP. Participants from other European countries pay 250EUR. This includes all tuition and accommodation irrespective of your length of stay. The deadline for applications is May 10^th. Further details can be found on our website at http://www.apollineproject.org/dig.html

 

European Archaeological Heritage Prize, 2011

Many congratulations to Girolamo Ferdinando De Simone for being awarded the 2011 European Archaeological Heritage Prize for his work at Pollena Trochia! The following is taken from the European Association of Archaeologists website.

The EAA Committee for the European Archaeological Heritage Prize, consisting of Anastasia Tourta from Greece, Margaret Gowen from Ireland, Luboš Jirán from the Czech Republic, Mircea Angelescu from Romania, and Carsten Paludan-Müller from Norway (chair), has decided to award the thirteenth Heritage Prize of the European Association of Archaeologists to Dr. Girolamo Ferdinando de Simone of St Johns College, University of Oxford, and Avvocato Francesco Pinto, Mayor of Pollena Trochia, in recognition of their combined efforts that have set an important example for the integration of scholarly, and societal achievements with good heritage management under particularly demanding circumstances.

The cooperation between Dr. Girolamo Ferdinando De Simone and Avvocato Francesco Pinto has brought back to light an important Roman monumental complex which after its first uncovering in 1988, had been forgotten, buried under tons of refuse in an illegal dump.

From a scientific point of view, the systematic investigation of the monument revealed that the Northern slopes of Vesuvius did in fact have an important habitation also during antiquity, and also that it had been reinhabited again soon after the eruption of Vesuvius responsible for the complete destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. By focusing on the Northern slopes of Vesuvius, the project has considerably expanded and nuanced the insight into Roman settlement in Campania, hitherto overshadowed by the splendour of Baiae, Pompeii and Herculaneum. The investigation has also added to our insights into life in Campania during the high and late empire between the eruption of 79 A.D. and that of 472 A.D. which particularly affected the Northern slopes of Vesuvius.

Most important of all, the excavation, presentation and return of the monument to the public, all of which happened under very difficult conditions, mobilized and encouraged the local community which participates in the archaeological work with enthusiasm. It is ground-breaking and in line with the spirit of the European Faro Convention.

Dr. Girolamo Ferdinando De Simone’s work bespeaks the spirit of responsibility and dedication of the active field archaeologists in Europe. The firm stance of the Mayor of Pollena Trocchia, Avvocato Francesco Pinto, who bravely defended the archaeological work and heritage against illegal but mighty interests, is laudable as it reconnected the Pollena Trocchia inhabitants with their historical past and reinstated their lost pride.

The awarding of the European Heritage Prize to Dr. Girolamo Ferdinando De Simone and Mayor Francesco Pinto sends a message of optimism to other European regions whose cultural heritage is endangered by questionable interests. The synergetic results of their cooperation constitutes a luminous example of what can be achieved when heritage management and archaeological research enjoys local society’s support and when archaeologists are conscious of their potential to contribute to society. 

 More information and photos of the project are available here  and here.

Two papers on Campanian late antique pottery

I would like to draw your attention on two papers we delivered recently. At the Late Roman Coarse Ware Conference in Thessaloniki, we used new evidence from the excavations in Naples and our sites on the North Slope of Vesuvius and Nola to reconstruct patterns of production and distribution of goods in Late Antiquity.
More recently we delivered another paper on social habits and cultural practices through the study of pottery and faunal remains (Keramos 2011).

Newspaper articles

A couple of newspaper articles out today:

Pollena Trocchia, fine settimana “archeologico” con l’apertura del sito di parco Europa 

Continuano le assemblee negli Scavi. Rottur tra sindacati e Sopritendenza, disagi per i tuisti

ANNOUNCEMENT: cultural heritage sites open this weekend on the North Slope of Vesuvius

To celebrate its bicentennial, this weekend the town of Pollena Trocchia opens its cultural heritage sites to the public. This is a great opportunity to visit the post-79 Roman villa with baths and other sites which might be of particular appeal if you're interested also in Classical Reception and Volcanology. Among the wonders, there are a Roman column base in the local church, an 18th century "Roman ruin" (but with a real Roman altar) in a Neapolitan nobleman's villa, and Vesuvius' small volcanic vents (you can actually enter into one of them!).
Some of this evidence has been published already, but there is more to explore.
I have created a page with directions to the archaeological site (or you can use Google Maps).
If currently you're not in the Bay of Naples, please get in touch with me and I'll arrange a visit for you (it might be nice to see us in action, from the 13th of June to the 15th of July).

Vesuvius' North Slope sites open today (Sunday)!

Sorry for the very late notice. In collaboration with the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), today (Sunday the 27th) I'm opening to the public the archaeological sites on the North Slope of Vesuvius, i.e. the post-79 Roman baths at Masseria De Carolis in Pollena Trocchia (see photo below) and the so-called Villa of Augustus in Somma Vesuviana. If you're around Vesuvius, please come. If you're not there yet, but you'd like to visit either or both sites in the next weeks or months, please get in touch with me and I'll open them for you (3395671190). If you want to see us in action, please come during the dig at Pollena, this Summer we'll run from the 13th of June to the 15th of July, with the usual nice mix of Oxford and Italian students.
All the best,

Girolamo Ferdinando De Simone

St. John's College, University of Oxford

North Slope of Vesuvius

I've recently edited a book on the NORTH slope of Vesuvius:

Apolline Project vol. 1. Studies on Vesuvius' North Slope and the Bay of Naples

You can read it for free on Google Books:

http://books.google.com/books?id=O3mDanbZyI8C

or buy it:

http://www.ibs.it/code/9788896055007/apolline-project-ediz.html

I hope you'll enjoy it, if you want to know more about the excavations in Pollena Trocchia and Somma Vesuviana, please ask and I'll be glad to send more notes, articles, and pictures.