Pompeii, Just Two Blocks Away

One of the great things about my apartment's location in Seattle, it is only two blocks away from the Seattle Center. The Seattle Center is a great place for tourist and locals to spend ample amounts of time exploring because it is the park, arts, and entertainment center of Seattle, and of course, the iconic Space Needle is there too. One of the museums located in the Seattle Center is the Pacific Science Center.

The Pacific Science Center is definitely a fun, interactive, and educational destination when visiting Seattle. I took my niece to it, and we spent several hours exploring the museum. Another great option while visiting the Pacific Science Center is catching an IMAX movie; also, some great traveling exhibits circulate through this museum as well. For instance, I saw the traveling King Tut exhibit in 2012, and this year, the traveling exhibit is Pompeii: The Exhibition. I was able to see this exhibit with my mom, who unlike me, hasn't visited Pompeii in Italy. Seattle is the last stop for this exhibit's US traveling tour.

Pompeii: The Exhibition showcases the miraculous artifacts unearthed since the epic eruption about 2,000 years ago. One of the largest collection of body casts ever presented are part of this exhibition. Part of your museum experience will be getting to sit through two videos; one consisting of the history of Pompeii, and the other is a four-minute condensed movie of the three days of Mount Vesuvius continuous eruption. A little history of the city of Pompeii:

• In the year 79, Pompeii vanished beneath thick layers of volcanic ash left by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
• The rediscovery of this city was about 250 years ago.
• Some of the discoveries included garden frescoes, marble statues, helmets, shin guards of Gladiators, coins, religious altars and shrines, jewelry and so much more.

Overall, the exhibit was impressive and just illustrated that nature can be both destructive and restorative at the same time. At the end of the exhibit, there is a room devoted to the volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest. One of the questions pondered is: could what happened to Pompeii happen to Seattle if Mount Rainier ever erupted? The short version answer is no, because when/if it erupts, it will not be erupting the "mud" that Mount Vesuvius erupted. The mud is key to the preservation qualities that helped all the artifacts to remain intact. 

Here are some of the photos and commentary from the exhibit if you didn't get a chance to see the exhibit in your city:

Anchor: This anchor was found southwest of Pompeii, at the mouth of the Sarno River. This object serves as a reminder that 2,000 years ago Pompeii was an important port, a hub for markets and trade throughout the Roman Empire. 

Ptolemy II Philadelphus: ruler of Egypt from 283 BC to 246 BC

I think the middle statue (the one without a nose) looks like Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter in a toga. 

Wine Amphora: The pointed base of this amphora fit snugly on top of another of identical design. This allowed merchants to stack the containers, making for efficient storage and transport. It also enabled shopkeepers to keep the stock they needed to meet the demands of their customers.

Labrum: This marble fountain rests on three legs each in the shape of sphinxes, mythological creatures that were half-human, half-lion. The sphinxes here have bodies that are part-vegetable and end in lion paws. Acanthus leaves wind around the main column. This supports the pipe that connects to the water source.

Cast of Man: The volcanic eruption of Vesuvius is still being studied today. Recent research suggests that many Pompeiians were killed by surges of extreme heat (570 degrees Fahrenheit) resulting in an instantaneous rigor mortis, with bodies frozen in time. This fact would help explain the variety of poignant death postures.  

Statue of Ephebe (Young Man)

Fresco with Dionysus Enthroned 

Gladiator Helmet with Bas-relief Decorations and Shin Guards

Bathtub

Clay Figurine of a Gladiator 

Gold Necklace: This long, thick chain is made up of four strands of gold with delicate links that look like fabric. The pendant is shaped like a crescent moon,  an ancient symbol of Venus, Goddess of Love. The necklace was probably wrapped several times around the neck. 

Head of Gaius Caeser: This bust is thought to depict the 10-year-old Gaius Caeser, grandson of the Emperor Augustus. In an official work commissioned in 13 B.C., the 7-or-8 year-old Gaius Caesar shares the same large face, voluptuous lips, and bangs with dovetail peaks.