From June 14 to 16, 2019 , the Archaeology Days will take place , an initiative coordinated by the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research ( INRAP ). For its tenth anniversary, the initiative is opening its doors to all European countries. State-owned and private cultural institutions are participating, offering their spaces to promote their heritage and raise awareness of the work of archaeologists through conferences, performances, educational workshops, and guided tours of excavation sites.
The Ercolano Archaeological Park is participating in the initiative with an enrichment of its visit offer. It starts on Friday 14 June with Close-up. Open-door restorations, an initiative in which visitors to the Park can access the restoration sites underway in the archaeological area as part of both scheduled and extraordinary maintenance campaigns, and talk to the conservators to discover their work. On Friday 14 June, from 11:00 to 12:00, the appointment is at the Headquarters of the Augustali, affected by consolidation work on the decorated surfaces.
On Saturday, June 15, the initiative continues with the Goldsmith Workshops at the Park's Antiquarium. From 16:00 PM to 19:00 PM, you can attend the goldsmith workshop "Timeless Beauty at the Herculaneum Archaeological Park," led by Nunzia Laura Saldalamacchia, an archaeologist specializing in the study of ancient goldsmithing. She will illustrate the process of making modern jewelry inspired by that featured in the exhibition " SplendOri. Luxury in Ornaments in Herculaneum."
The Archaeology Days end on Sunday 16 June with the possibility of visiting the Ancient Theatre of Herculaneum, the fascinating underground route, descending more than 20 metres below the lava that covers it, you can live the exceptional experience that allows you to participate in a real exploration seeing the remains of the ancient building but also finds and graffiti left over the centuries by visitors on the Grand Tour . Modern Western archaeology was born in Herculaneum with the beginning of the Bourbon excavations,” states Director Sirano . “From that moment, a process was triggered that transformed archaeology from a simple search for objects, preferably beautiful ones, to one of the leading historical disciplines. Archaeology is now mature; it has become an open and multidisciplinary field of inquiry, and experiences are multiplying to broaden its scope of dissemination. Herculaneum is now a site perfectly suited to this climate. This month's cover of the specialized magazine “Archeo” is, not surprisingly, dedicated to Herculaneum. Our team, enriched by the international presence ensured by the Herculaneum Conservation Project, is composed of archaeologists, restorers, communicators, architects, engineers, social studies experts, and mediators. Universities and independent scholars collaborate to advance knowledge in all fields. The Park is gradually becoming what I believe it should be: an open-air laboratory of inclusive and communicative archaeology. Only in this way will we ensure we fulfill our duty. to make the visit a concrete learning experience.”
