'The underground hydraulic system of the Civil Forum': the conference in Pompeii on February 23rd

The International Association 'Friends of Pompeii' ETS hosts the conference on the subsoil of Pompeii by Daniele De Simone and Graziano Ferrari of the Cocceius Association.

The underground hydraulic system of ancient Pompeii will be the focus of the conference “The underground hydraulic system of the Civil Forum”, which will be held on February 23 at 17 pm in the Auditorium of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.

The event, organized by the International Association 'Friends of Pompeii' ETS, will present the results of the research conducted by the speleologists of the Cocceius Association, with speakers such as the speleologist Graziano Ferrari, president of the Cocceius Association, and the archaeo-speleologist Daniele De Simone. In the period 2018-2020, the Cocceius Association explored and studied the subsoil located under the Civil Forum, via Marina and the so-called Imperial Villa of the ancient city.

This area hosts a complex underground hydraulic system used for the collection, storage and drainage of water in ancient times. After more than a century since the last exploration in the early twentieth century, the system has been examined through speleological techniques that have provided new data on the management of water in the subsoil of the city.

The investigations have provided information on the evolution of the site between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD and on the structural characteristics of the conduits, as well as on the possible causes of degradation and collapse of the structure that continues to perform its function of drainage of the Civil Forum. These data, significant for understanding the construction choices of the ancient designers, represent an essential basis of knowledge for future conservation and protection actions that the Archaeological Park of Pompeii may undertake.

"The conduits being researched ," explains Graziano Ferrari, " were only explored in 1900 by excavators working to restore the system to working order, so no survey had ever been carried out. The restoration excavations were never completed, but recent explorations have revealed the existence of a section approximately 15 meters long where the original fill, rich in earthenware, is still present. This is a so-called 'intact record ,'" continues Graziano Ferrari, " which therefore merits a delicate archaeological excavation in a confined underground environment. This information provides useful data for understanding the urban planning of the domus above and the evolution over time of water management in the area of ​​Pompeii between the Civil Forum and Porta Marina."