Much has been learned about ancient Roman civilization from studying Pompeii, which was buried in ash and pumice in 79 C.E after the massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Since systematic excavation began there in the 18th century, Pompeii has provided researchers with a window into the art and architecture, economy and social structure, culture and habits of a once-prosperous and bustling city.
For Dr. Eric Poehler, assistant professor of classics at UMass Amherst, Pompeii is “a site of incredible detail over a vast distance,” where visitors are “enveloped by the ancient world – except for the people, who are represented by the ruts in the roads, made by the turning of the wheels that created them.” Speaking at Middlesex on February 2, thanks to the Mudge Family Fund for the enrichment of the classics, Dr. Poehler shared with his audience just what can be learned from closely examining those roads in his presentation called “Ruts, Rocks, and Molten Iron: Surprises in the Streets of Pompeii.”
From studying the deep grooves and grinding patterns left on street stones and curbs, Dr. Poehler has been able to map the traffic patterns of Pompeii, discerning that this complex city was indeed governed by Roman “rules of the road” not previously known, as they were not detailed in writing.
More difficult to explain, however, is the presence of iron throughout the roadways, whether splattered in droplets or driven forcefully into stones. Having previously observed that the front line of field work is done by people not much older than Middlesex students, Dr. Poehler noted that one graduate student surveyed 90 percent of Pompeii’s streets and documented 440 individual pieces of iron there. Her meticulous research led to the conclusion that iron was being used to repair the streets – a new and notable finding given that it had been previously believed that the Romans could not smelt iron. But exactly how that heavy, molten metal was transported and applied before it quickly cooled again is still perplexing.
“As archeologists and historians find new methods,” Dr. Poehler pointed out, “we see new evidence that reveals more about the ancient world.” Given the ample opportunities for young scholars to get involved in research at the university level – and the fact that one-third of Pompeii still remains unexcavated – Dr. Poehler assured Middlesex students that they, too, might make a contribution and discover something new. “Come ready to try, and you’ll get there,” he affirmed.