Throughout our exploration of ancient Rome, we've used museum objects to learn about the people who made and used them. But, for the most part, we don't know the exact "context," or place, where each object was found. Archaeologists and other specialists study ancient sites and the artifacts found there to try and shed light on the cultures that produced these objects.

One of our best glimpses of daily life in ancient Rome comes as a result of a natural disaster! In 79 A.D., the city of Pompeii was buried by volcanic ash from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The city was caught without warning - you could say it was buried alive! It lay untouched and preserved until its discovery in the 18th century and excavation beginning in the 19th century. Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in background We will examine the remains of Pompeii and think about what they tell us about life in a 1st-century Roman town. Although most of the objects related to daily life in our collections probably didn't come from Pompeii, we'll use the city as an example of the kind of city where these objects might have been used.

Choose one of these areas of Roman life to explore: Public Life Private Life

Public Pompeii was a prosperous town located south of Rome on the Bay of Naples. Good agricultural land around the city produced wine and oil. The layout of the city included the typical components: Forum: An open square or market place. It consisted of an open area with colonnades around the sides, surrounded by public buildings - temples, markets, and government buildings. This part of the city is where the religious, commercial, and government activities took place. Theaters: Merchants' Shops: Baths: All of these buildings give us a picture of a 1st century Roman town that was well-organized and prosperous.

Theaters: There were several types of theaters used in Roman towns for different types of performance. For popular entertainment, like comedies or mime, they borrowed the Greek theater form. A half-circle stage was surrounded by stepped seating made of stone. For large spectacles and sporting events, the Romans invented their own building design - the amphitheater. It was a large oval arena, surrounded by tiered seats - very similar to a modern football stadium. Odeum (small theater) in Pompeii

Shops: Archaeologists working at Pompeii have also uncovered shops for serving food, bakery ovens, and mills for grinding flour. Grinding mills in the bakery at Pompeii

Caldarium (hot room) in the Forum baths at Pompeii Most Romans didn't have baths in their own homes. They went to large public bath houses. The baths were a place to get clean as well as a social center where Romans met friends to exercise and chat. Women and men went to separate baths or each had their own hours. The bath complex was made up of several rooms. Some were for changing clothes, exercising, and a series of rooms with progressively hotter water. The final step in a Roman bath was a plunge into a cold bath or swimming pool! Caldarium (hot room) in the Forum baths at Pompeii