It is considered that Pompeii was destroyed in the first century and, being buried under a layer of volcanic ash and pumice-stone, it remained forgotten for more than 1500 years until in 1592 the architect Domenico Fontana, during the construction of a canal to bring water to Torre Annunziata, found in an underground passageway several inscriptions on marble plates indicating the location of an ancient city. In this paper we present arguments in favor of another hypothesis: that Pompeii came to the end of its existence after the completion of the canal which was constructed in ruined city, however, still not fully covered by the volcanic ashes. The paper brings up for discussion some results of the author’s study partially popularized on the Internet and presents his opinion that the famous Pompeii, being excavated by the archeologists in the last 200 years, in fact finally disappeared off the face of the earth as a result of the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF POMPEII
DOMENICO FONTANA'S WATER CONDUIT
RESULTS
DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper challenges the traditional archaeological consensus regarding the destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD by presenting evidence that the city remained inhabited and functional well into the 17th century. The central research question examines whether the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius in December 1631 was, in fact, the cataclysmic event that finally destroyed and buried the city of Pompeii, based on architectural analysis of Domenico Fontana's 16th-century water conduit and contemporary historical documentation.
- The historical re-evaluation of Pompeii's destruction timeline.
- Architectural analysis of Domenico Fontana's 16th-century canal construction.
- Examination of contemporary 17th-century historical records and epitaphs.
- Critique of traditional dating based on Pliny the Younger and Dio Cassius.
- Evaluation of archaeological inconsistencies regarding the state of Pompeii at the time of its discovery.
Excerpt from the Book
DOMENICO FONTANA'S WATER CONDUIT
This water conduit is located within the territory of the city, diving under the modern railway line passing along the remains of the north-eastern city wall in the area of the destroyed and technically not existing nowadays, gate Sarno. Here, in section Regio III, Insula 7 (here and below we will use the generally accepted numbering of regions, blocks and doors of Pompeii, first introduced by Giuseppe Fiorelli) is located the first technological well (A) which for some reason is hidden from the outside world behind barriers of two meters in height (see Fig.3 ). The following well (B) covered by a metal grid is well visible at sidewalk of the “Street of Plenty” (Via dell’ Abbondanza).
Passing under the eastern end of Via dell' Abondanza, where the line of the conduit across the street surface is obvious, the water conduit goes in the closed section of Regio II, Insula 5, where at present an experimental agricultural field is located.
Here, behind a tall wall, the third well of the water conduit (C) is located and almost immediately after it, about twenty meters along the water conduit, there is some strange installation looking like a water mill (D). Liselotte Eschebach calls this installation "Bourbon water lift" [sic!]. Unfortunately, she did not justify her statement in any way. As is well known, the Neapolitan Bourbons ruled the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies for one hundred years, from 1759 till 1860, when they were deposed by Garibaldi, with a small interruption of fourteen years when they were exiled from Naples by Napoleon in 1806. That is, Liselotte Eschebach thinks that sometime during this period, after the beginning of the excavation works, there was an operational water lift supplying water from the Domenico Fontana's water conduit to the surrounding farms? However, there is no map of Pompeii, neither from the Bourbon period nor from any later period, indicating the existence of any well or water lift along the route of the water conduit within the city walls!
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: The introduction outlines the history of Vesuvius' eruptions and presents a historical epitaph from 1631 as evidence that Pompeii was still recognized as an existing entity at that time.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF POMPEII: This chapter details the chance discovery of Pompeii by Rocco Joaquin de Alcubierre while restoring a water conduit originally built by Domenico Fontana in the 16th century.
DOMENICO FONTANA'S WATER CONDUIT: The author analyzes the technical route of the water conduit through the city, identifying various technological wells and questioning the purpose of structures misidentified by previous researchers.
RESULTS: The results demonstrate that the conduit was constructed using open-trench methods and that archaeological evidence points to the city being partially ruined and occupied until the 1631 eruption.
DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS: This section critiques the traditional 79 AD dating, arguing that the accounts of Pliny and Dio Cassius are unreliable and that historical maps and contemporary documents support a much later destruction date.
Keywords
Pompeii, dating of Pompeii’s destruction, eruption of Vesuvius, Domenico Fontana, Sarno canal, archaeology, historical revisionism, 1631 eruption, ancient city, material culture, topographical maps, Neapolitan history, industrial archaeology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental premise of this work?
The work suggests that the destruction of Pompeii did not occur in 79 AD as traditionally believed, but rather that the city survived until the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius in December 1631.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The research encompasses archaeology, historical geography, structural analysis of 16th-century hydraulic engineering, and a critical historiographical review of Roman era records.
What is the primary research goal?
The objective is to re-evaluate the timeline of Pompeii's demise by linking architectural evidence of Fontana's water conduit and contemporary 17th-century accounts to the actual burial of the city.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The author uses empirical site observation, comparative analysis of historical maps, architectural scrutiny of the Domenico Fontana canal, and a critique of traditional source material from ancient authors.
What is addressed in the main body?
The main body examines the physical route and construction of the Sarno canal within Pompeii, identifying inconsistencies in the archaeological records and the misattribution of certain structures by later scholars.
Which keywords characterize this publication?
The key themes are Pompeii, the 1631 eruption of Vesuvius, Domenico Fontana, the Sarno canal, and the critical analysis of historical dating methods.
How does the 1631 epitaph support the author's theory?
The epitaph on the Faraone Mennella villa lists Pompeii among cities destroyed by the 1631 eruption, explicitly contradicting the notion that the city had been lost for over 1500 years.
What issue does the author raise regarding Fontana's construction?
The author questions how Fontana could have constructed a major water conduit through the city without encountering massive ruins if the city had indeed been buried under volcanic ash since the 1st century.
- Quote paper
- Dipl. - Ing. (TU) Andreas Tschurilow (Author), 2009, Features of the Domenico Fontana’s Water Conduit (the Canal of Count Sarno) and the Date of Pompeii Destruction, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/140558
