Italy
Pompei – Porta Ercolano

Location and historical summary

The town of Pompeii is located in the South of Italy, on the Bay of Naples. Its foundation dates from the 7th-6th centuries BC. Having become Samnite at the end of the 5th century, the town was gradually Romanised after the Roman conquest of Campania, before becoming a Roman colony in 80 BC. In 79 AD, it was mostly buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Several necropolises are attested, starting in the Samnite period, one of which was identified in the area around the Herculaneum Gate. This area of the town maintained a funerary function up to the burial of the town. Large numbers of tombs still line the road. What is unusual about this area is that the dead were in close quarters with the living; several houses are known, including the Villa of the Mosaic Columns, the Villa of Cicero or the Villa of Diomedes. A variety of other workshops, production areas and shops are also associated with these houses, some of which were still in use when the eruption occurred.

Research history

The Herculaneum Gate necropolis was one of the first areas of Pompeii to be excavated. A number of villas were uncovered and published in the 18th century. The tombs were also identified early on and articles and summary publications about them have appeared over the years. The existence of Samnite tombs was identified in the late 19th century, and further discoveries took place throughout the 20th century.

Ultimately, this area is quite well documented, and we can outline the main aspects of its evolution. However, a detailed study still needs to be conducted.

A new project was therefore launched in 2012. Its focus is predominantly on the dynamic between the areas used for burial and those with a production or commercial function. It will also enable us to determine the precise role given to each of these spaces and, where possible, to establish their legal status: the presence of numerous inscriptions associated with the burial has provided precious information about the identity of the owners.