An inscription bearing two clearly visible words, ‘decurio pompeis’, referring to a Pompeian magistrate, was archaeologically diagnostic evidence, but was misinterpreted as referring to the villa of the Roman general, Pompey, not the Roman city of Pompeii; therefore, its discovery did not arouse further discussion or interest. The canal was already completed when Lucas Holstenius, a German antiquarian, visited the area in 1637, and proposed correctly that Pompeii and la Civita were the same — his proposal was not welcomed; however, another inscription bearing the name Pompei found in 1689 instigated an intellectual debate on its identification, prompting further personal interest. Early archeologist, Giuseppe Macrini, visited the site in 1693 to venture down the tunnels, noting the ruins of ramparts and buildings, and suggesting excavation to clarify whether these ruins belonged to the ancient city of Pompeii called ‘la Civita’ — no attempt was made until 1748.
The exploration of the ancient site started in an area called ‘Civita’, in 1748 was found to be a comparatively easy task, because the debris that had caused such chaos was light and not compacted.
During the first phase, the excavation was carried out essentially in order to find art objects. Many artifacts considered suitable for the private collection of the Bourbon king, Charles III, were removed, and transported to Naples, reinforcing the political and cultural prestige of the municipality, where they remain to this day, displayed in the Museo Nazionale. Other wall paintings were stripped from the walls and framed, or irreparably destroyed due to excessive damage.
By the end of the 18th century, two wide areas had been uncovered: the Quartiere dei Teatri with the Tempio d’Iside, and the Via delle Tombe with the Villa di Diomede. Two of the archaeologists most connected with this phase were Karl Weber and Francesco La Vega, who wrote detailed diary accounts of the works they carried out, and made very precise designs of the buildings being uncovered.
During the period of French control of Naples (1806-1815), the excavation methodology changed: organization was of greater importance, and an itinerary was drawn up to accommodate the visits of scholars, as well as important personages.
The French wished to excavate the buried town systematically, from west to east. In some periods of their influence, they employed as many as 1500 workmen, and this concentration of effort resulted in the Foro’s, the Terme’s, the Casa di Pansa’s, the Casa di Sallustio’s, and the Casa del Chirurgo’s excavation.
With the return of the Bourbon king Ferdinand I to Naples, this method of organizing the excavations continued, but there were fewer funds available to back the project. By 1860, much of the western portion of the town had been excavated.
Giuseppe Fiorelli directed the Pompeii excavation from 1863 to 1875 – introducing an entirely new system for the project; rather than uncovering the streets first, he imposed a system of uncovering t
