Name______________________________

What Happened at Pompeii?

Today in class, you and your group will take on the roles of archaeologists. Recently, you have unearthed an ancient Roman city near the Gulf of Naples named Pompeii. The entire city has not yet been fully excavated or investigated, but you have found several artifacts that may help you determine why this city has been lost for so long. In the next few days, some of your colleagues are flying out to Pompeii to see what youve discovered so far. None of your colleagues have seen any of the excavations yet, and your job is two-fold: (1) You need to explain some of the artifacts youve found. (2) Using three (3) of the artifacts, provide a hypothesis for what may have happened at Pompeii.

Directions: There are four (4) artifacts from Pompeii that are on the pages after this. Together as a class, we will examine the first artifact together. After that, work in your groups to examine the other three; ask yourself questions like: What does this source tell you about what may have happened at Pompeii? Does it tell you anything about how ancient Romans may have lived? Where is this source coming from? Who may have produced it, and for what kind of audience? When youve finished your examinations, please write out a short explanation of what you think happened at Pompeii using any three of the artifacts to support your theory. Ask yourself questions like: How do these sources help you understand why the city was lost for so long? What happened there? Why do you think your explanation is a possibility?

Artifact (A)
Elsewhere there was daylight by this time, but they were still in darkness, blacker and denser than any ordinary night, which they relieved by lighting torches and various kinds of lamps. My uncle decided to go down to the shore and investigate on the spot of the possibility of any escape by sea, but he found the waves still wild and dangerous Then the flames and smell of sulfur which gave warning of the approaching fire drove the others to take flight and roused him to stand up. He stood leaning on two slaves and then suddenly collapsed, I imagine because the dense fumes choked his breathing by blocking his windpipe Source: A letter written by Pliny the Younger to the historian Tacitus on Pompeii 1st century C.E.
What does this source tell you about what may have happened at Pompeii? Does it tell you anything about how ancient Romans may have lived? Where is this source coming from? Who may have produced it, and for what kind of audience?

Artifact (B)

Source: Bodies from the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii by James M. Deem, 2005 What is going on in this source? What does it say about what may have happened at Pompeii? Why is this image significant?

Artifact (C)

Source: Pompeii: Exploring a Roman Ghost Town by Ron and Nancy Goor, 1986 What is going on in this source? What does this image tell you about what may have happened at Pompeii? Why is this source significant in explaining what happened to Pompeii?

Artifact (D)

The fallen bodies of the Pompeiians were buried under twelve feet (four metres) of ash and pumicethey lay or crouch in the positions in which they died. Some appear to be gasping or choking in their final moments as they were suffocated by ash so hot that it singed their hair and burned the insides of their mouths.

Source: A description of the bodies at Pompeii by anthropologist Sara C. Biesel,

1990

What does this source tell you about what may have happened at Pompeii? Does it tell you anything about how ancient Romans may have lived? Where is this source coming from? Who may have produced it, and for what kind of audience?

What Happened at Pompeii?

Your colleagues are flying in to see what youve found out so far about the city of Pompeii and why it was destroyed. Now that youve taken some time to look at and explain some of the artifacts that youve found at the excavation site and in doing some research, its time to write out what you plan on telling your colleagues. Using at least three (3) of the artifacts that you examined, please write a short paragraph on what you think happened at Pompeii and the people who lived there. Please remember to use proper capitalization and complete sentences. Additionally, make sure you cite your artifacts after you talk about them [Example: Pliny wrote that his uncle died because he choked on smoke and ash (Artifact A).]. This is what happened at Pompeii: