September 17, 2003
Due to popular demand, an exhibition celebrating the Australian contribution
to the study of Pompeii – the world’s oldest archaeological site – has been
extended to 25 September.
New Work at Pompeii: a celebration of the Australian
contribution
features photos of the archaeological site and current excavations, together
with historical information, scientific analysis of pottery and rocks, and
actual Pompeii artifacts such as fragments of frescoes.
Curator of the exhibition and Manager of the Museum of Ancient Cultures, Karl
Van Dyke, says the event came about due to a happy convergence of separate
projects.
“First of all, one of our PhD students, Jaye Pont, has been excavating at
Pompeii for a number of years. It was a great opportunity to highlight not only
her work, but also the collaborative work she’s done with Dr Patrick Conaghan,
from the Centre for Ecostratigraphy and Palaeobiology in the Department of
Earth and Planetary Sciences.
The exhibition also highlighted the purchase by the Friends of the Library of
the magnificent German monograph series Houses in Pompeii, each volume of which
concentrates on a particular house in Pompeii recording in minute detail what
remains today and what had been recorded of that house in the past.
Whilst the official exhibition will close at the end of the month, the material
from New Work at Pompeii will live on as an important learning resource for NSW
and ACT high school children.
Pompeii is already a popular part of the Year 11 HSC Ancient History syllabus,
and has recently been named a Core Study area for Year 12 students by the NSW
Board of Studies, placing the Museum and the University as a key future
provider of resources for students and teachers.
New Work at Pompeii: a celebration of the Australian contribution is on
display in the exhibition area of the Macquarie University Library.