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Herculaneum

2025/4/3
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The Ancients

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Andrew Wallace-Hadrill
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Tristan Hughes
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Tristan Hughes: 我是特里斯坦·休斯,在本期节目中,我们将探索赫库兰尼姆这座被维苏威火山掩埋的罗马古城,它与庞贝古城一样重要,但鲜为人知。赫库兰尼姆规模较小,但保存完好,展现了罗马人的日常生活,包括港口、房屋、公寓、小吃摊和浴场等。此外,在赫库兰尼姆的纸莎草卷别墅中发现的炭化纸莎草卷,正在借助人工智能技术被破译,这为我们了解古代罗马提供了新的途径。 Andrew Wallace-Hadrill: 庞贝和赫库兰尼姆就像人的双眼,提供了观察古代世界的不同视角。虽然它们距离很近,都位于维苏威火山附近,但火山喷发的影响却大相径庭。赫库兰尼姆被火山碎屑流掩埋,这是一种对有机物保存极佳的物质,而庞贝则被火山灰覆盖。赫库兰尼姆的发现并非偶然,它与政治和经济密切相关。虽然人们在中世纪时期就已知晓赫库兰尼姆的存在,但直到西班牙波旁王朝时期才开始大规模发掘。赫库兰尼姆的发掘比庞贝困难得多,因为它被埋藏在更深的火山岩层之下,需要更先进的技术和更多的资金。赫库兰尼姆最初并非罗马城市,而是通过征服而成为罗马城市,其文化融合了希腊和奥斯坎文化。它曾参与了罗马同盟战争,反对罗马的统治,其地理位置使其易守难攻。赫库兰尼姆拥有肥沃的土壤和丰富的海洋资源,这吸引了人们在此定居。尽管赫库兰尼姆规模较小,但其在古代文献中仍有记载,这突显了其重要性。赫库兰尼姆拥有罗马城市的一般特征,例如广场、公共建筑、市场和浴场等,但其具体布局和功能仍有待研究。赫库兰尼姆遗址展现了不同社会阶层的住宅,从富人的别墅到普通人的公寓,提供了对古代罗马社会结构的深入了解。即使是最普通的住宅也可能拥有精美的装饰,例如壁画和马赛克,这反映了居民对美好生活的追求。赫库兰尼姆的居民并非只有精英阶层,还有大量的自由民,他们也努力追求体面的生活。赫库兰尼姆展现了古代罗马社会不同阶层的繁荣景象,而非仅仅是精英阶层的奢华生活。赫库兰尼姆的商店和餐馆等商业场所,由各种社会阶层的人经营,是城市运转的重要组成部分。赫库兰尼姆的海滨别墅展现了罗马精英阶层奢华的生活方式,纸莎草卷别墅是其中最著名的例子,其主人可能是卡尔普尔尼乌斯·皮索,别墅中发现的大量纸莎草卷,反映了他的文化品味和社会地位。赫库兰尼姆居民的死亡方式与庞贝不同,他们死于高温的火山碎屑流。通过对遗骸的研究,我们可以了解他们的生活方式和社会背景。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter explores the rediscovery of Herculaneum, contrasting it with Pompeii's more famous excavation story. It highlights the challenges of excavating Herculaneum due to its unique geological context and the sheer amount of volcanic rock that had to be removed. The chapter also touches upon the significant role of politics and funding in archaeological discoveries.
  • Herculaneum's excavation was more challenging than Pompeii's due to the depth of volcanic rock.
  • The discovery of Herculaneum is intertwined with political and economic factors.
  • Modern excavations used advanced techniques like pneumatic drills, contrasting with Pompeii's simpler methods.
  • The chapter emphasizes the site's preservation and its potential for future discoveries.

Shownotes Transcript

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius unleashed devastation on the Roman world, burying entire towns beneath volcanic ash. While Pompeii is world-famous, another extraordinary site met the same fate - Herculaneum.

In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Andrew Wallace-Hadrill to explore the incredible remains of this lesser-known Roman town. From lavish seaside villas and multi-story apartments to ancient fast-food stalls and bathhouses, Herculaneum offers an intimate glimpse into daily Roman life. Plus, we uncover the groundbreaking AI technology being used to decipher the carbonised scrolls found in its famed Villa of the Papyri.

For more on this topic listen to our four-part series on Pompeii and Vesuvius:

Pompeii: Life Before the Eruption: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3oIGA40brXolaPU9e3warc)

Sex Work in Pompeii:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2k5CQDHXHmIRKCmu4kk9SB)

Gladiators of Pompeii:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4c34S92PPQadej45S4F6cZ)

Pompeii: The Eruption of Vesuvius: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6IyQp6PYBrMwbFNWU33nqF)

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

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