Aldborough
York YO51
UK
Andrew Wallace- Hadrill was Director of the British School at Rome between 1995 and 2009 and then Master of Sidney Sussex College, until June 2013. He stood down from the position of Master to concentrate his efforts on the Herculaneum Conservation Project but still continues at Cambridge as Director of the Faculty of Classics. Andrew, a well respected academic, is widely known for the BBC programme “Life and Death in Herculaneum” and for his many publications which include “Herculaneum : Past and Future.”
Herculaneum was overwhelmed by the same volcanic eruption of Vesuvius as its neighbouring city of Pompeii in AD 79. Much smaller than Pompeii, Herculaneum is less of a household name today but the particular circumstances of the town’s burial mean that many features of Herculaneum bring the past to life more vividly even than Pompeii. While Pompeii was covered in a blanket of ash only some 10 metres deep, Herculaneum was encased in compacted layers of volcanic material at some points to a depth of up to 25 metres. For this reason many organic features, including wooden beams and furniture, are well preserved at Herculaneum, unlike most archaeological sites in the world. This unique site stands in constant danger of disintegration unless sustained efforts are made for its conservation.
Since 2001 the Herculaneum Conservation Project has sought to address some of the most pressing threats to the survival of the site. The focus has been on infrastructural problems – roofing and drains. It has also sought by scientific experiment to analyse the conservation risks and to develop better approaches to reducing them. In the course of work, it has made many new archaeological discoveries and cast new light on the history of the site. It tries to involve the local community closely in its activities, has undertaken joint projects with the town council and helped set up the Herculaneum Centre.
Andrew is very much looking forward to his first visit to Aldborough and to finding out more about the Aldborough Roman Town Project that his friend and colleague Prof. Martin Millett has been involved with since 2009. Following the talk, he will join those who have been to the talk for refreshments in Aldborough Village Hall.
Cost: Visitors £5.00 (Friends of Roman Aldborough members free)
