A thick layer of ash covered the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the year 79. The exhibition at the Finnish Maritime Museum opens up the life of the destroyed cities.
It’s an ordinary day in a southern European city, thousands of people go about their business.
In a couple of days, the volcano Vesuvius, which has slept for 700 years, will wake up. One of the most famous natural disasters in history takes place.
The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and their inhabitants were covered under a thick layer of ash.
Now you can get to know the destroyed cities and the everyday life of their inhabitants in Finland.
The navy tried to save the people from destruction
In the exhibition of the Finnish Maritime Museum in Kotka, you can see a wide range of artifacts from the cities that experienced the destruction.
There is no exact information on how many people were ultimately saved from the destruction. Pompeii is estimated to have had 15,000–20,000 inhabitants.
– The perception is that not all residents died. So far, about a couple of thousand bodies have been found. Probably a large part left as soon as ash and small stones started to fall. Some decided to fortify themselves in their houses, and that was their fate, Keltanen says.
– The innovativeness and technical solutions of the Roman fleet are interesting, and how they achieved domination of the Mediterranean with them, Tirkkonen describes the presentation of the exhibition at the Finnish Maritime Museum.
Victims buried under ash
This year marks 275 years since the beginning of archaeological excavations. The traces of Vesuvius’ destruction are still being investigated.
– It is one of the most significant and best-preserved archaeological sites in the entire world. Without Pompeii, we wouldn’t know so much about everyday life and life during the Roman Empire, says exhibition manager Minerva Keltanen.
The finds have been well preserved because they were buried in ash.
– The ash has stored under it for a couple of thousand years, for example, charred bread, jewelry and furniture. Paintings, mosaics and frescoes have been preserved in the apartments. Various election advertisements and graffiti have been preserved on the exteriors of the houses, which reveal life back then, Keltanen continues.
The Escape from Pompeii exhibition features 160 original objects from the museums of Naples and the collections of the National Museum of Finland: plaster casts of people buried under the ashes, marine archaeological finds, jewelry, wall paintings, sculptures and everyday items.
A winged piece of jewelry brought good luck to its wearer
Erotic objects have also been found in the archaeological excavations of Pompeii.
According to exhibition manager Dr. Minerva Keltanen, in the ancient Roman Empire, eroticism was viewed much more freely than in the time of Christianity.
– In Pompeii, there could be large phalluses on the roadside. The phallus was considered a symbol of great natural vitality and happiness. It drove away the evil eye, Keltanen describes.
In the exhibition, you can see jewelry with winged phallus pendants. Their purpose was to prevent the wearer from having accidents.
*The exhibition is open at the Maritime Museum of Finland 31.3.–1.10.2023.*
*You can discuss the topic on 31.3. until 23:00*