Herculaneum ─ Past and Future

Andrew Wallace-Hadrill revisits the evidence to unpick what is known from the speculation and fanciful invention, building a far richer impression of the town: its population, its public and private spaces and its place in the Roman world. He points up the similarities and differences between Herculaneum and its more famous neighbour, decodes the confusing mix of different types of people apparently living closely along side each other, examines the extensive documentary evidence and tackles head-on the complexities of excavating, preserving, restoring and presenting this priceless archaeological resource.

The book draws on a decade's work with the Herculaneum Conservation Project, which, thanks to the Packard Humanities Institute, has begun to reverse the neglect of previous years which had reduced this extraordinary site to a critical condition. As well as casting new light on the history of its excavation, the book looks at the challenges of preserving the site for the future.

The text is illustrated with more then 300 newly taken colour photographs, including some stunning 360-degree panoramic views, as well as maps, architectural plans, graphs and archive illustrations showing the early stages of the excavations, making this book the definitive overview of what we know and understand about Herculaneum, of what is still unknown and mysterious, and of the potential for future discoveries in both archaeological and political contexts.

Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, OBE, was the Director of the British School at Rome and has recently been appointed Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He is head of the Herculancum Conservation Project and his books include Suetonius: The Scholar and his Caesars (1985), Augustan Rome (1993) and Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum (1994).