5 1860 a city rediscovered

CHAPTER V 1860: a city rediscovered For centuries after the disaster, Pompeii lay buried and forgotten, hidden under layers of dust, dirt and rubble. Occasionally a farmer digging his field would turn up a small fragment of mosaic or sculpture, or a piece of bronze- but nothing more. Then, in 1748, whispers began to spread that the ruins of some very ancient houses had been dug up by local workmen. Word soon reached the ears of the King and Queen of Naples. Intrigued, they ordered excavations to begin.

Over the next hundred years, all sorts of treasures were discovered and entire buildings began to rise from the ashes. Pompeii became famous as a popular tourist hotspot. Everyone flocked to see the site- not just scholars and archaeologists, but rich young Europeans touring Italy to put the finishing touches to their education. The excavations were often chaotic and slow. Some excavators made detailed drawings and studies of what they found. But others just grabbed what they could for their private collections. But all that was soon to change...

One morning in 1860, the voice of a workman rang out excitedly. He'd spent hours on his knees, sifting carefully through layers of debris, under the instruction of the inspiring new Director of Excavations, Giuseppe Fiorelli. Giuseppe Fiorelli was young, dedicated and ambitious. The Italian king, Victor- Emmanuel Il, knew he had found the right man for the job. For too long, this forgotten city had been plundered by amateurs wanting to take away their very own piece of history. It was time to show Pompeii the respect it deserved.

With over 500 workmen at his disposal, Fiorelli was determined to do just that. He walked over for a closer look, pushing his panama hat further back on his head. They peered at a small hole in the earth that indicated another cavity containing... who knew what? Fiorelli nodded and clapped his hand on the workman's shoulder. See! There's definitely something here. Well done, Luigi. Mix up some plaster right away. You know what to do.

Fiorelli walked towards the top of a small hillock to assess the day's work and to admire the slowly emerging city. He leaned against an olive tree and watched as a line of men with wicker baskets on their backs carried rubble away from the site. Others stood on wooden scaffolding

as they removed the debris that had submerged the houses of Pompeii. They worked from the roof down, so as not to disturb any relics. On one of the far houses, a wall painting had been slowly appearing over the past few days, and Fiorelli felt a flush of excitement.