Stephen Montoya
It’s almost hard to quantify the notion that an entire city could be obliterated in the matter of hours. But that’s exactly what happened to the residents of the Roman city of Pompeii circa AD 79. This once bustling metropolis near the now infamous Mount Vesuvius volcano in Italy, wiped out nearly 10,000 people overnight, covering their remains in a blanket of ash. The irony of this catastrophic event is that it preserved the city it destroyed in an almost ghostly 3D snapshot of ancient history.
Since Pompeii was rediscovered in 1748, archeologists, scientists, and historians have been able to uncover an unprecedented number of ancient artifacts preserved by time, encased in ash. However, the most striking of the finds weren’t of pottery, or sculptures; it was the human remains still stuck in their final poses before they took their last breaths. Thanks to excavations, which are still going on today, scientists have been able to figure out almost exactly what happened on that terrible day.
The good news for all you DFW history buffs, is you don’t have to book a ticket to Italy to view and analyze these artifacts. That’s right, y’all, Pompeii is now in our own backyard. Thanks to an exclusive exhibit at the Arlington Museum of Art (AMA), “Pompeii: The Immortal City” is now front and center for all to see in full display.
According to Chris Hightower, president and CEO of the museum, over 100 artifacts that are normally stored at the Naples National Archeological Museum (MANN) have been carefully shipped to Arlington for this exhibit. A task he says that was anything but easy.
“I think it was around maybe eight shipments, big shipments, of containers we brought in over a few months’ time,” Hightower says. “Some of it went overseas on a boat and some of it was flown over. But yeah, it's pretty intense. And we have to get approval from the Italian Cultural Ministry office. They want to export their culture, which is great, but you have to get approval to go through this whole process. It really did take a huge team to get this exhibit here.”
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Hightower also verified that once this exhibit ends on June 23, it’s all going back to Italy, making Arlington the only spot, not just in the Lone Star State, but in the country, to see these artifacts. With scientific research still underway on the site where this once bustling city stood, researchers are still uncovering some of the extraordinary achievements of Pompeii and the Roman world. And Hightower, who got his degree in art at TCU, says the construction of this exhibit was no exception in terms of learning.
“The thing that's the most surprising to me is this civilization’s technology. I mean it was 2,000 years ago and they still built large structures using ancient technology that is astounding to study,” he says.
Outside of the beautiful authentic artwork, glass blown objects, and examples of engineering is the exhibit’s center piece, which is a plaster cast of a woman lying on the ground with her hands on her face. This eerily quiet space evokes a sense of reverence given the nonverbal expression she was frozen with during the time of her death. This section of the exhibit is breathtaking compared to the many images taken of Pompeii’s ruins via documentaries and photographs. Nothing compares to seeing this woman’s remains in real life. This section really brings the tragedy that Pompeii experienced home in a very real way.
“The common misconception is that there was a lava flow, which there really wasn't,” Hightower explained. “It was a pyroclastic flow that was like the vapors and all the chemicals in the air that got to people's respiratory system[s]. That was the big problem that killed them off.”
According to archives, the ash and the pumice stone from the volcanic explosion buried the city, which sat undiscovered for centuries. Museum attendees have a chance to witness this epic catastrophe at this exhibit in a 180-degree digital theater that depicts what the city of Pompeii looked like before, during, and after the eruption. This exhibit also offers a glimpse of what everyday life was like for these ancient Romans in the form of several fictional Pompeiians.
There’s even a burnt loaf of bread that was discovered in one of the many ovens during the volcanic eruption that attendees can see encased in glass.
Stephen Montoya
Outside of this exhibit connected to the 42,000 square feet of floor space in the museum’s new 86,000 square foot digs are another exhibit that revolves around nature titled “One Point Five Degrees.” Attendees can also experience the digital art of TCU grad Adam Fung "fathom" and Canadian artist Sabrina Ratte "Floralia." Each digital installment is set in various rooms, meant to immerse art fans in each artist’s visual take on nature. These giant video installments link to what many attendees from the Pompeii exhibit may be thinking about after watching an entire city disappear in what was a 24-hour span 2,000 years ago.
Since this is AMA’s new digs, which was officially opened in March, these exhibits marks a contrast of destruction and rebirth at the same time.
“What’s so amazing about this exhibit is all of this stuff was lost to time for a thousand years,” Hightower says. “So, I think seeing the exhibit really kind of amplifies and puts a spotlight on the people, technology, and art that existed so long ago.”
