LATEST NEWS
SCHOOLS COMPETITION RESULTS
Our recent competition saw some truly exciting entries from children in the 12 to 15 age group on the topic: "The Eruption of Vesuvius as seen by a Slave in Herculaneum". Click here to see the results.
1st Prize
Madeleine Taylor-Laidler 
2nd Prize
Robyn Creeden
3rd Prize
Jenny Whitby
Highly Commended
Ciaran Doyle
Highly Commended
Rohin Athavale
Commended
Caitlin Brown
Commended
Thomas Aird
Trustee Professor Robert Fowler presenting 1st Prize to Madeleine Taylor-Laidler at Redland High School, Bristol.
Rohin Athavale, Ciaran Doyle and Thomas Aird of Birkdale School, Sheffield.
Read about the epic voyage of the 'Adriatica' which set off from Herculaneum on Saturday August 30 2008 calling at nine different ports in the Mediterranean before 3 October. Click here for more information.
Forthcoming study day for young archaeologists involved in the Vesuvian sites taking place in Herculaneum on 17 September 2008. Click here for further details.
HERCULANEUM SOCIETY MEETING AND AGM, SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 2008. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.
Read a recent article on the Villa of the Papyri, "In search of Western civilization's lost classics" from The Australian by Luke Slatterly. Click here.
FEASIBILITY STUDY
To see a summary of the main points click here.
Friends may be interested to know that the latest issue of the journal "Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites" is entirely dedicated to Herculaneum. The articles contained in it are:
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill. Introduction: the Herculaneum Conservation Project.
Jane Thompson. Conservation and management challenges in a public-private partnership for a large archaeological site.
Domenico Camardo. Archaeology and conservation at Herculaneum: from the Maiuri campaign to the Herculaneum Conservation Project.
Paola Pesaresi and Monica Martelli Castaldi. Conservation measures for an archaeological site at risk: from emergency to maintenance.
Paola Pesaresi and Gionata Rizzi. New and existing forms of protective shelter at Herculaneum: towards improving the continuous care of the site.
The journal's website is www.ingenta.com/journals/browse/maney/cma to which some readers may have access through university or other services (otherwise pay-per-view).
EXCAVATIONS RESUME AT HERCULANEUMI
December 6, 2007
A fabulous solium
has been unearthed near the Villa of the Papyri. See articles about
the throne find:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,315246,00.html
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=33908§ionid=3510212
http://africa.reuters.com/odd/news/usnL04138888.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL0413888820071204
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7128553.stm
From The Times
October 24, 2007
Diggers begin Herculaneum task of finding masterpieces lost to volcano
Richard Owen in Herculaneum
Archaeologists have resumed their search for a library of Greek and Latin masterpieces that is thought to lie under volcanic rock at the ancient Roman site of Herculaneum. Read more ...
From The Telegraph
October 24, 2007
Greek 'treasures' expected from Herculaneum
Malcolm Moore in Herculaneum
At one o'clock on the
morning of August 25, 79AD, a blast of burning gas and a wave of molten mud
engulfed Herculaneum, preserving the only Ancient Roman library that has ever
been found.
Now, archaeologists are finally hoping to excavate tens of thousands of scrolls, which may include lost works by Aristotle, Sophocles and Catullus. Excavation work has restarted on the famous Villa dei Papyri after an eight-year gap. Read
more ...
MEMBERS AGM to be held at Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies, Oxford, Saturday 22 September 2007 at 4 pm.
CONFERENCE: Villa of the Papyri: archaeology, reception and digital reconstruction. A two-day conference to be held at the Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies, Oxford (22-23 September, 2007). Download details here.
The International Centre for the Study of Herculaneum is advertising the post of Assistant to Centre Manager to be based in Ercolano and Rome. Closing date 13 September 2007.
STUDENTSHIP The Herculaneum Society will again this year offer a studentship to a currently registered student to pursue a research project pertaining to Herculaneum. The award, which carries a stipend of up to £1000 plus travel expenses, is open to students applying from universities both in the UK and abroad. Applications, consisting of a letter of application, a 1-2 page description of the project, and at least one letter of recommendation, should reach the Society's office by 30 September 2007 at the Herculaneum Society, The Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies, 66 St. Giles, Oxford OX1 3LU.
Grand Hotel Oriente, Naples is offering a special rate for members of the Society in 2007. A double room for single occupancy with breakfast will cost members €105 and €125 for double occupancy.Click here for the Hotel's website and mention you are a member of the Society when booking.
Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption, an illustrated website accompanying a major exhibition on Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Oplonti. In late 2007, the exhibition will be in Toronto at the Royal Ontario Museum, and in 2008 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
3D Laser Scanning as a Conservation Tool, new surveying techniques used by the Herculaneum Conservation Project for documentation, decay monitoring, and formulation of conservation strategies.
Ribbon cut at Herculaneum Studies Centre (ANSA, July 1, 2006)
What's new at Pompeii and Herculaneum? Research, excavation, exhibitions, and books (Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow, Amphora Vol. 4 Issue 2, Fall 2005)
The final hours of Herculaneum (Die letzten Stunden von Herculaneum), an illustrated website accompanying the first exhibition devoted to Herculaneum outside Italy (in Munich June-November 2006 and Nijmengen December 2006-March 2007). The exhibition is now over but a short video feature is available on this page (in German).
Rare painted Roman sculpture found at Herculaneum (Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News, March 31, 2006), with pictures.
Statue reveals Roman lady with her make-up still on (Richard Owen, The Times, March 25, 2006)
Rare Pompeii dinner set unveiled (David Willey, BBC News, July 18, 2005)
Battle for the books of Herculaneum (Peter Popham, The Sunday Independent, May 22, 2005)
Villa row pits 'Pompeii' author against heritage experts (Denis Greenan, ANSA, May 4, 2005)
Millionaire to fund dig for lost Roman library (Nick Fielding, Sunday Times, Feb. 13, 2005): also posted at Friends of Classics
Should we dig at Herculaneum? An
interview with Professor Robert Fowler of the Society and Professor
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill of the British School at Rome (Today Programme,
BBC Radio 4, Feb. 1, 2005; Real Media only)
Unwrapping the Secrets of Damaged Manuscripts: University of Kentucky scientists are planning to use CT scans to read papyrus rolls without unrolling them.
The International Theodor Mommsen Prize for Herculaneum Papyrology 2004 was awarded to Martin Ferguson Smith for his book Supplement to Diogenes of Oinoanda, the Epicurean Inscription published by Bibliopolis, Naples, 2003 (ISBN 88-7088-441-4). He received the prize at a ceremony in Pozzuoli on 12 January 2005. On 13 January the book was presented and discussed by Professors Alberto Grilli and Nicola Pace of Milan at l'Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Filosofici in Naples.
The Society's January 2005 meeting received widespread media attention both in Great Britain and further afield. Links to a selection of articles are given below.
Classical treasures threatened by Vesuvius (Christopher Howse, Daily Telegraph, Jan. 17, 2005)
Buried masterpieces (Leader, The Guardian, Jan. 18, 2005)
The search for the lost library of Rome (Robert Harris, Sunday Times, Jan. 23, 2005): also posted at Friends of Classics
Excavations at Herculaneum (Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times, Feb. 3, 2005: scroll down)
Das Wissen der Antike - unter der Lava? (Siegfried Helm, Hamburger Abendblatt, Feb. 4, 2005)