Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius

Pompeii: The Exhibit

From March 4th through September 5th 2011, the doors to the past will be flung open as visitors to New York’s Discovery Times Square Museum find themselves transported 2,000 years into the past — to Pompeii, a Roman city near Naples, that was frozen in time as a result of a massive eruption from Mount Vesuvius in 79AD.  The city thrived for 700 years before being completely consumed in volcanic ash within a day and a half, burying bodies frozen in their last moments of life.

Pompeii: The Exhibit is more than a history lesson.  It’s a compelling and poignant experience of life and death. Guests have the opportunity to witness life as it was before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in an unforgettable way.  Visitors enter a bare room and watch a short film that chronicles what the people of Pompeii might have been doing moments before the eruption.  Farmers are hard at work while mothers tend to their children, and suddenly, Mt. Vesuvius rumbles and the room begins to vibrate.  The volcano erupts, releasing molten lava and approaching clouds of ash.

All is then quiet. The room goes black. The doors open to reveal sprawling, ghostly body casts of 20 Pompeii inhabitants, fixed in the posture of their final gasp.  The body casts (created from hardened ash) are the main attraction of the exhibit, which houses the largest collection of body casts ever put on display.  The exhibit also features over 250 artifacts, including an unsettling collection of 32 skeletons discovered together.

Although the exhibit focuses on the infamous volcanic eruption and its aftermath, visitors also garner an understanding and appreciation of this once beautiful and lively merchant city. Amongst the artifacts, some of which have never been seen in the U.S., Pompeii: The Exhibit also features vibrant room and garden frescoes, pottery, carbonized fruits and nuts, and gold jewelry.

Pompeii: The Exhibit gives its visitors not only a memorable experience and comprehensive display of life in ancient Pompeii, but also the opportunity to witness life and death in all its awe and beauty.