What was Herculaneum?

Herculaneum was an ancient city in Campania, Italy, that was home to 4,000–5,000 people. It was situated at the western base of Mount Vesuvius, approximately 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Naples. Like Pompeii , Herculaneum was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. The town of Ercolano now sits on part of the site. Together, the ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. The excavation of Herculaneum and Pompeii in the mid-18th century led to the development of modern archeology.

Where was Herculaneum located in Italy?

Herculaneum was an ancient city in Campania, Italy, situated 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Naples, at the western base of Mount Vesuvius. Along with Pompeii, Torre Annunziata, and Stabiae, it was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. The town of Ercolano now lies over part of the site. The ruins of Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Torre Annunziata were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

How was Herculaneum affected by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE?

In 79 CE, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius devastated Herculaneum, a city near Naples, Italy, with a population of 4,000–5,000. The eruption buried the city under 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 metres) of compact, tufaceous material, which, while making excavation difficult, preserved wooden frameworks, furniture, and even food within the buildings. Unlike Pompeii, early excavations found few human remains, leading to the assumption that most residents had escaped. However, later excavations uncovered over 120 skeletons near the ancient shoreline, indicating that many perished while trying to flee from the nuées ardentes (pyroclastic flow).

How was Herculaneum different from the nearby city of Pompeii?

Herculaneum, an ancient city with 4,000–5,000 inhabitants, was smaller than Pompeii, which had between 10,000 and 20,000 inhabitants. Both cities were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. However, the cities faced different circumstances during their burial. Herculaneum was covered by a compact mass of tufaceous material, while Pompeii was buried under ash and pumice. This made excavation more difficult in Herculaneum but also better preserved wooden objects and food. In contrast to Pompeii, early excavations found few human remains, but later excavations uncovered more than 120 skeletons, suggesting many people died while trying to escape.

What kind of buildings and artifacts have been found in Herculaneum?

Herculaneum, an ancient city near Naples, Italy, was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Excavations, which began in the 18th century, revealed a remarkably preserved city due to the unique burial conditions. Excavations have uncovered various buildings and artifacts, providing detailed insights into ancient Roman life. Preserved wooden frameworks of houses, furniture, and even food items like carbonized bread were found. Public monuments such as the palaestra (sports ground with a swimming pool) and thermae (baths) have also been discovered. The Villa of the Papyri contained a library of ancient Greek papyri. These findings offer a detailed impression of private life in the ancient world.

Why is Herculaneum important for historians and archaeologists today?

Herculaneum is invaluable to historians and archaeologists because the city's unique burial conditions, resulting from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, led to exceptional preservation. Unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum was buried under a compact mass of volcanic material, which prevented looting and conserved wooden structures, furniture, fabrics, and even food. These conditions provide a detailed impression of private life in the ancient world that is hard to find elsewhere. Excavations, which began in the 18th century, continue to reveal well-preserved houses, public monuments like the palaestra and thermae, and artifacts, offering insights into Roman society and architecture.

Herculaneum

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Sunlit view of the ancient stone ruins of Herculaneum in Campania, Italy, with excavated walls and columns, modern buildings in the distance, and Mount Vesuvius on the horizon.

Map of southern Europe highlighting Italy, with a red star marking the location of Herculaneum near the southwest coast, designating it as a World Heritage Site. Surrounding countries, major islands, and bodies of water such as the Tyrrhenian Sea and Mediterranean Sea are also labeled.

Ancient stone ruins of Herculaneum with partially standing walls and arches, set below a modern town in Ercolano, Italy.

Herculaneum: House of the Relief of Telephus

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Herculaneum summary

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Key People:: Philodemus

Related Topics:: ancient Italic people; archaeology; August 24: A Buried City Keeps Surprising Us

Related Places:: Campania; Italy; ancient Rome

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Herculaneum

ancient city, Italy

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What was Herculaneum?
Herculaneum was an ancient city in Campania, Italy, that was home to 4,000–5,000 people. It was situated at the western base of Mount Vesuvius, approximately 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Naples. Like Pompeii, Herculaneum was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

The town of Ercolano now sits on part of the site. Together, the ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. The excavation of Herculaneum and Pompeii in the mid-18th century led to the development of modern archeology.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where was Herculaneum located in Italy?
Herculaneum was an ancient city in Campania, Italy, situated 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Naples, at the western base of Mount Vesuvius. Along with Pompeii, Torre Annunziata, and Stabiae, it was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. The town of Ercolano now lies over part of the site. The ruins of Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Torre Annunziata were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How was Herculaneum affected by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE?
In 79 CE, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius devastated Herculaneum, a city near Naples, Italy, with a population of 4,000–5,000. The eruption buried the city under 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 metres) of compact, tufaceous material, which, while making excavation difficult, preserved wooden frameworks, furniture, and even food within the buildings.

Unlike Pompeii, early excavations found few human remains, leading to the assumption that most residents had escaped. However, later excavations uncovered over 120 skeletons near the ancient shoreline, indicating that many perished while trying to flee from the nuées ardentes (pyroclastic flow).
2 Britannica Sources
1. Pompeii: History
2. Herculaneum
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How was Herculaneum different from the nearby city of Pompeii?
Herculaneum, an ancient city with 4,000–5,000 inhabitants, was smaller than Pompeii, which had between 10,000 and 20,000 inhabitants. Both cities were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. However, the cities faced different circumstances during their burial. Herculaneum was covered by a compact mass of tufaceous material, while Pompeii was buried under ash and pumice. This made excavation more difficult in Herculaneum but also better preserved wooden objects and food. In contrast to Pompeii, early excavations found few human remains, but later excavations uncovered more than 120 skeletons, suggesting many people died while trying to escape.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Pompeii
2. Herculaneum
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What kind of buildings and artifacts have been found in Herculaneum?
Herculaneum, an ancient city near Naples, Italy, was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Excavations, which began in the 18th century, revealed a remarkably preserved city due to the unique burial conditions.

Excavations have uncovered various buildings and artifacts, providing detailed insights into ancient Roman life. Preserved wooden frameworks of houses, furniture, and even food items like carbonized bread were found. Public monuments such as the palaestra (sports ground with a swimming pool) and thermae (baths) have also been discovered. The Villa of the Papyri contained a library of ancient Greek papyri. These findings offer a detailed impression of private life in the ancient world.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Herculaneum
2. Western architecture: Residential architecture
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why is Herculaneum important for historians and archaeologists today?
Herculaneum is invaluable to historians and archaeologists because the city's unique burial conditions, resulting from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, led to exceptional preservation. Unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum was buried under a compact mass of volcanic material, which prevented looting and conserved wooden structures, furniture, fabrics, and even food. These conditions provide a detailed impression of private life in the ancient world that is hard to find elsewhere. Excavations, which began in the 18th century, continue to reveal well-preserved houses, public monuments like the palaestra and thermae, and artifacts, offering insights into Roman society and architecture.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Herculaneum
2. Western architecture: Residential architecture
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Herculaneum, ancient city of 4,000–5,000 inhabitants in Campania, Italy. It lay 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Naples, at the western base of Mount Vesuvius, and was destroyed—together with Pompeii, Torre Annunziata, and Stabiae—by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 ce. The town of Ercolano (pop. [2021 est.] 51,600) now lies over part of the site. The excavations of Herculaneum and Pompeii in the mid-18th century precipitated the modern science of archaeology. Collectively, the ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

Ancient tradition connected Herculaneum with the name of the Greek hero Heracles, an indication that the city was of Greek origin. However, there is historical evidence that toward the end of the 6th century bce a nucleus of Oscan-speaking inhabitants came under Greek hegemony there and that in the 4th century bce Herculaneum came under the domination of the Samnites. The city became a Roman municipium in 89 bce, when, having participated in the Social War (“war of the allies” against Rome), it was defeated by Titus Didius, a legate of Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

Herculaneum was severely shaken by an earthquake in 62 ce, and the serious damage suffered by its public and private buildings had not yet been repaired when it was buried by the Vesuvius eruption of August 24–25, 79 ce. Because few human remains were found during early excavations, it was assumed that most of the inhabitants, unlike the people of Pompeii, had succeeded in escaping toward Naples, in the direction opposite to the fall of lapilli and ashes. In the 1980s, however, excavations at the ancient shoreline of the Bay of Naples (an area that is now inland) uncovered more than 120 human skeletons, suggesting that numerous additional inhabitants had perished while attempting to escape. Nuées ardentes (a type of pyroclastic flow) were the most likely cause of death.

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Temple ruins of columns and statures at Karnak, Egypt (Egyptian architecture; Egyptian archaelogy; Egyptian history)

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PyrrhusPyrrhus, marble bust from the Villa of the Papyri, Herculaneum; in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples, Italy.

The particular circumstances of the burial of Herculaneum, unlike those of Pompeii, led to the formation over the city of a compact mass of tufaceous material about 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 metres) deep. Although this layer made excavation very difficult, it preserved Herculaneum and prevented tampering and looting. The special conditions of ground humidity made possible the conservation of wooden frameworks of houses, wooden furniture, the hull of a sizable boat, pieces of cloth, and food (carbonized loaves of bread left within ovens). Thus, Herculaneum offers a detailed impression of private life that is only with difficulty achieved in other centres of the ancient world.

Excavation began in the 18th century, when all memory of the existence of Herculaneum had been lost for centuries and the only available reports of it were those that had come down through the authors of antiquity, without any information as to the exact position of the ancient city. Quite by accident, in the first decades of the 18th century, during the digging of a well, a wall was discovered that was later found to be a part of the stage of the Herculaneum theatre. Tunnels were soon dug at the site by treasure hunters, and many of the theatre area’s artifacts were removed. Regular excavations were started in 1738 under the patronage of the king of Naples, and from 1750 to 1764 the military engineer Karl Weber served as director of excavations. Under Weber, diagrams and plans of the ruins were produced, and numerous artifacts were uncovered and documented. Magnificent paintings and a group of portrait statues were excavated from a building thought to be the ancient basilica of Herculaneum, and a large number of bronze and marble works of art were recovered from a suburban villa, called the Villa of the Papyri because it yielded a whole library of ancient papyri, in Greek, on philosophical subjects of Epicurean inspiration, which are preserved in the National Library of Naples.

The excavations resumed in 1823 with the intention of discontinuing the previous tunneling and instead working from above ground, a method used with success at Pompeii. Up to 1835 the work proved to be of value, bringing to light the first houses of Herculaneum, among which was the peristyle of the House of Argus. Abandoned and again resumed in 1869, after the unification of Italy, the excavations continued until 1875, when, because of the poor results obtained and the presence of the inhabited dwellings of Resina (now Ercolano), they were once more abandoned.

After the efforts of the English archaeologist Charles Waldstein to internationalize the excavations at Herculaneum (1904) by collecting contributions for this purpose from various nations in Europe and America, the work resumed in May 1927 with Italian state funds and with the object of conducting the excavations with the same continuity as those of Pompeii. The results of this work, interrupted only by World War II, made it possible to have a clear picture of the ancient city. The larger decumanus (“main road”) forms one side of the quarter of the ancient forum with its public buildings. The insulae (“blocks”) to the south of the decumanus are laid out in a strictly geometric pattern facing the cardines (“crossroads”). Many of the nobler houses afforded their patrons a view of the bay. Inside the residential quarter, houses of rich republican and patrician construction alternate with houses of the middle class (such as the Trellis House), also finely decorated, or with commercial houses and workshops.

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The public monuments uncovered include the palaestra (sports ground), with a large portico surrounding a vast central piscina (swimming pool), and thermae (baths), one of which adjoins the former beachfront and is in a remarkable state of preservation, having remained largely protected against the pyroclastic flows of the eruption.

In the 21st century, excavation continues, since the demolition of part of Ercolano, at the forum of the ancient city and at the ancient coastline.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Alicja Zelazko.

Herculaneum

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