GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Goals

Appreciation is extended to the Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei and especially to the Superintendent, Professor Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, for granting permission and for facilitating our work. Our day-to-day needs were handled by the Direzione degli Scavi. We benefitted from the patience and graciousness of its staff on a daily basis and are most grateful.

The 1995 season followed a two-week season in 1994 in which part of the collaborative team (Dobbins, Eiteljorg, Hanna, and Ball) tested equipment and field procedures (instrument use, photogrammetry, model building, distribution of labor, logistics, etc.). Results of the 1994 season have been published in the CSA Newsletter. [A link to those documents will be provided here, but is not available at this writing.]

There were five major goals in June of 1995. These were (1) to continue the architectural survey of the forum using a total station; (2) to continue to develop the CAD model using the data collected in the survey; (3) to gather data using photogrammetry and apply several changes in procedure based of our experiments in 1994; (4) to produce for archival purposes large format black- and-white photographic documentation of the standing remains in the forum; (5) to continue the analysis of the urban history of the forum; and (6) to begin the larger diachronic urban studies phase of the project. Each of these aspects of the project is treated in a separate document that can be reached by going BACK one step to the previous page.

The 1995 Team

In addition to the 1994 group mentioned above, the 1995 collaborators included C. William Westfall (Urban Historian), Mark M. Schimmenti (Urban Designer), Aaron Levin (Photographer), James G. Cooper (Architect; Graduate Student in Architectural History), and Sarah (Sally) Butler (Architect; Graduate Student in Architectural History).

While it is contrary to our goals to maintain a rigid division of labor, the following was the basic breakdown of responsibilities. Eiteljorg directed the survey and operated the total station. He was assisted in this at various times by Hanna, Ball, Cooper, and Dobbins. He transfered data from the data recorder to the computer at the end of each day at the site and worked on the development of the model in conjunction with Hanna, Ball, and Dobbins. Westfall and Schimmenti, both of whom know Pompeii from previous visits and who regularly use Pompeii in their urban history and urban design classes, explored the city with a view to relating the forum to the larger urban fabric. Their observations were recorded in writing and photographically. Levin, who has extensive experience in archaeological photography (especially at Caesarea and Tel Anafa), documented the standing architecture using 4 inch x 5 inch black-and-white photography. Cooper assisted Levin. Questions of phasing and architectural analysis were considered by all , but especially by Ball, Cooper, and Dobbins. Sally Butler was examining the Villa of the Mysteries and was not a member of the forum project per se. However, she did work with the team in the forum for several days at the beginning of the month. Dobbins was overall coordinator.

Accomplishments

The archival photography was completed. Two hundred five 8 inch x 10 inch prints have been produced and scanned for presentation on the Web. They are accessible under the heading "Archival Photographs" on the Home Page.

Each of the other goals was addressed. As all are part of the continuing project, there was no expectation that any would be completed during the 1995 season.

Work continues at the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia where the project director is an Associate Fellow and at the Center for the Study of Architecture at Bryn Mawr where Harrison Eiteljorg is the Director.

John J. Dobbins
Director, Pompeii Forum Project
Associate Professor of Classical Art & Archaeology
McIntire Department of Art
Fayerweather Hall
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22903

804-924-6128
e-mail: dobbins@virginia.edu