The teachings of ancient Herculaneum between sustainability and resilience.
The bad weather of the last period has enhanced the efficiency of the work in progress at the Archaeological Park of Ercolano on the management of rain and spring water and their disposal. It is in fact thanks to the interventions implemented that, despite the heavy rains of the last few months, the sea front of the Park is safe, so much so that to the visitor it no longer appears to be the swamp of the past that required continuous interventions.
But the Park went further, the collected water was not wasted because thanks to the restoration of the Roman sewer system, which Ercolano was equipped with, and a hydraulic system designed specifically, it was possible to reuse rainwater and spring water for the needs of the offices and the care of the plants in the Park.
At the Archaeological Park of Ercolano, work continues on the ancient beach to restore the walking level as it was at the time of the eruption. The reconquest of the levels of 79 AD will allow walking on the ancient coast with a previously unpublished path that will reach the Villa of the Papyri, finally connecting the two areas of ancient Herculaneum. The beach is now about 4 meters below the current sea level, a condition that has always posed problems of water regulation.
And precisely to resolve these critical issues, the Packard Humanities Institute, through the specialists of the Herculaneum Conservation Project, has developed since 2007, in synergy with the Superintendency of Pompeii first and then with the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, a multidisciplinary study aimed at designing an intervention to resolve all the problems that have worsened since the excavations of the 80s.
The aim of the works in progress is to regulate the spring and rain waters to prevent the flooding of the arches area, to conserve and safeguard the heritage, to expand the levels of enjoyment of this strategic area of the ancient site where one can admire the only completely preserved sea front of an ancient city.
"The past teaches us ," Director Sirano adds , "thanks to a multidisciplinary approach, a sustainable project is underway, implemented in collaboration with the Packard Humanities Institute, bringing together ancient and modern facilities and resources. The enhancement of the ancient beach has yielded important scientific discoveries, such as the discovery of the geological sequences that caused the sea level to fluctuate several times from the 3rd century BC until the eruption, as well as the countless wooden artefacts and the famous last fugitive, found with his travel bag containing his most precious possessions in a small wooden box. This project also included documentation using the most modern digital tools and the conservation of the remains of the ancient tuff cliff from the 3rd century BC, which at the time of the eruption was submerged by the sea and covered by a volcanic beach, the sand of which was removed during excavations at the end of the last century.
The natural drainage and water management system, completely reversible, simultaneously performs three functions: water, protection of the ancient cliff and enjoyment with a surface in natural material that can also be walked on with wheelchairs. Finally, the recovery of water with a virtuous system of reuse is part of an overall approach of the Park to the objectives of the 2030 agenda in terms of resilience and renewable energy.”
