Summary of the Proceedings and Papers Presented at - World ...

The Insula Orientalis I is made up of three houses (the House of
the Gem, the House of the Telephus Relief and the House of M.P.
Granianus) and has been chosen as the HCP case study.
Campaign of emergency works
The emergency works include: provisional structural consolidation
work, securing decorations in danger of collapse,
restoration of the rainwater collection system, study of secondary
causes of decay and resolution of the most pressing
problems.
Research activities
Research activities are concentrated mainly on a study of
water systems, essential if the site is to be protected. This
includes identifying the ancient system of water drainage
and supply, which today collects some of the water carried
by modern guttering and drainage wells. The results of this
study will allow us to develop a new, rational, and definitive
collection and drainage system, which will remove water
as far away as possible from wall structures, and especially
from decorations.
An example of the presence of water on site where the drainage
system is not functioning. Note the drain in the bottom right
hand corner which no longer adequately removes water due to
changes in the slope of floor surfaces
Specific scientific research will also be carried out on the
problems presented by the conservation of wood and metal,
the disintegration of plaster, mortar and building materials
in general, on the geological substratum, the presence of
salts, etc.
Depending on the results of the four activities described
above, as soon as the campaign of emergency works has
been completed the ordinary maintenance programme will
begin. This will involve periodic checks on surfaces, and
immediate intervention on those areas which present new
problems of decay.
Following a specific study carried out during the pilot
project, some provisional roofs will be built, to test their ability
to protect rooms suffering from severe decay, or where
decorations are at risk.
Alongside the problems listed above, we will also tackle
problems of a biological nature; these have already been
studied and partially resolved at other sites, and will be
analyzed at Herculaneum to identify a simple and effective
method of control. Another problem is the presence of
pigeons living in this area. In order to keep the birds away,
a programme based on the presence of specially trained
hawks, which will fly around the site periodically, is currently
in its initial phases. We will also begin to address the problems
of the aesthetic presentation and interpretation of the
site for visitors; this requires a uniform approach and a homogeneous
final outcome. 5
Results
The photographs and drawings uncovered during archive
research will be used to evaluate the nature and impact of
decay. By comparing the various observations and results
obtained from all our activities, we will draw up the basic criteria
for a definitive preventive conservation plan covering
the entire site of Herculaneum. This will enable us to begin
complete restoration projects for individual houses.
The material gathered during the site-wide studies described
above, and all the material collected subsequently,
will be digitized following uniform criteria, allowing it to be
entered, on an continuous basis, into a purpose-built database.
This will be available to all those interested in the excavations
at Herculaneum in the future, on a variety of levels.
Specific observations on the conservation
of decorated architectural surfaces
It is worth stressing that this theme is of special importance
within the project. The conservation of decorated surfaces
has driven numerous initiatives, and is in part the basis
for the organization of the general works programme.
The presence of individual areas of delicately painted
wall, stucco decorations, floors covered with tesserae or
marble opus sectile, simple plasterwork or cocciopesto
floors have forced the study team to work together. Each of
5 The treatment of bare brick surfaces, for example, is an extremely
common problem in archaeological sites. Bare walls, in comparison
with decorated surfaces, appear as enormous lacunae, with
reconstructed brickwork built at the time of excavation or later,
and which varies widely in appearance, alongside decayed and
disintegrated original materials and mortar. The combination leads
to considerable difficulties for the public when attempting to
interpret the walls as a whole. The pilot project will include aesthetic
presentation trials in an attempt to harmonize the various types of
brickwork and ease the interpretation of the whole.