The archaeological wonders of Herculaneum

As well as Pompeii, also this important centre was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius as of 79 A.D., but, differently from the former (which was submerged by ash and lapilli), Herculaneum was literally flooded by a river of mud which destroyed a lot of streets and buildings, but which allowed the perfect preservation of furniture and furnishings. Those who wish to know much about the immense archaeological heritage found in the District of Naples thanks to the excavations which involved several Vesuvian towns, cannot do without visiting Herculaneum. As well as Pompeii, also Herculaneum was buried by the famous eruption of Vesuvius as of 79 A.D., but differently from the former (which was submerged by ash and lapilli), Herculaneum was literally flooded by a river of mud which destroyed a lot of streets and buildings of the town. This, nevertheless, has not prevented to make very important findings. The diversities of the phenomena which involved the two towns, as centuries passed by, made them have a different destiny. The mud drifts which overwhelmed Herculaneum, in fact, caused serious damages to the structures of the built-up area, (which did not happen in Pompeii), but – at the same time – saved materials such as wood, that, otherwise, found in mud itself their ideal conditions to keep high sates of preservation. This is the reason why the excavations involving Herculaneum (started according to Charles of Bourbon’s will in 1738) allowed to find a great deal of pieces of furniture (especially in the House of the Carbonized Furniture) and furnishings, thus allowing also to find almost two thousand papyri (mainly of Philosophical matter) in the monumental complex which was therefore called Villa of the Papyri. Besides this one, among the buildings to be visited, there are also: the Theatre, the Basilica, the Thermal Baths of the Forum, The House of Neptune and Amphitrite (characterized by the presence of wonderful mosaic decorations), the House of the Mosaic Atrium, the House of Argus, the House of the Beautiful Courtyard, the House of the Deer (which takes its name from the presence of two very plastic marble groups representing some deer), the House of the Gem, the Large Gymnasium, the House of the Relief of Telefo, the House of Wood Partition, the House in Craticum, the House of the Bicentenary (so called because found in 1938 two centuries after the beginning of the excavation works which involved Herculaneum), the Samnite House.