Vesuvius in Eruption, watercolor. Painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner (between 1817 and 1820). Image courtesy of Yale Center for British Art.
Posted on 05/18/2016 1:46:36 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
A study suggests that lead isotopes can reveal the history of ancient Roman water distribution systems. The impact of the Vesuvius volcanic eruption in AD 79 on the water supply of Naples and other nearby cities has been a matter of debate. Hugo Delile and colleagues measured lead isotopic compositions of a well-dated sedimentary sequence from the excavated ancient harbor of Naples. The isotopic composition of leachates from the harbor sediments differed from those of lead native to the region, suggesting contamination from imported lead used in the ancient plumbing. The authors observed an abrupt change in isotopic composition in a sediment layer above that associated with the AD 79 eruption. This shift was estimated to postdate the eruption by approximately 15 years and suggests a switch to different pipes. The authors report that the Vesuvius eruption likely damaged the Neapolitan water supply network; nevertheless, the network continued to be used for another decade and a half while a new network was being constructed. Lead isotopes from later sediments suggested the steady expansion of the city's water supply system until the early fifth century AD, when multiple factors, such as invasions, natural disasters, and local administrative and economic collapse, led to its overall decline. The isotopic record further shows the ebb and flow of Neapolitan urban sprawl throughout the fifth and sixth centuries AD, according to the authors.
(Excerpt) Read more at popular-archaeology.com ...
Vesuvius in Eruption, watercolor. Painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner (between 1817 and 1820). Image courtesy of Yale Center for British Art.
Maybe it wasn't damaged per se, but just overtaxed by the spike in population by people who had been living closer to Vesuvius and fled to Naples.
Fascinating video showing what it was like when Vesuvius erupted
A Day in Pompeii
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY_3ggKg0Bc
bttt
Thx!
We’re planning on going there next year. I’ve been wanting to tour Pompeii for a long time.
Was it those things or a Saturnain demise from within? Are their any studies on the levels of osseous lead of city dwellers?
I’ll bet the Ronan water supply system lasts longer than PEX tubing.
Other than the fresh-water system, what have the Romans EVER done for us?
That should be great, take plenty of pics. :’)
House of the Vettii
http://www.skenographia.cch.kcl.ac.uk/vettii/paradata/paradata.html
http://www.google.com/search?q=house+of+the+vettii&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&tbm=isch
http://www.google.com/search?q=House+of+the+Vettii+3d&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&tbm=isch
Ah, this is what I was lookin’ for.
http://www.indiana.edu/~leach/c409/vplan.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3306765/posts?page=51#51
The video is fascinating. I’m pretty darn sure, though, that I wouldn’t have stuck around to see how the eruption turns out. Time to visit grandma’s house.
This article fits in great with a recommendation to read Pompeii by Robert Harris. The hero is a Roman water engineer who first notices that the Aqueduct that gives water to the city is failing. His investigation of the source of the problem and the subsequent efforts to get the city’s to safety make a great read.
I know it sounds lame, but trust me, it is a great book about Roman life, government, economics, etc. with a particularly good analysis of the building of aqueducts.
I gave it a five star rating on Amazon.
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