Jeremy Hartnett’s ongoing research on ancient Pompeii made him a sought-after expert and speaker this fall. In September, the associate professor of Classics and 1996 Wabash graduate was the guest speaker at the media opening of “A Day in Pompeii,” a new exhibit at the Museum of Science in Boston. In October he delivered a lecture at Syracuse University exploring the impact of photography on excavations at the site.
Hartnett’s talk at Syracuse centered on Vittorio Spina-zzola, an Italian archeologist who excavated Pompeii and was among the first to use photography to scientifically record the unearthing process.
In Boston, the Patriot-Ledger newspaper quoted this description by Hartnett of the 250-artifact exhibit at the city’s Museum of Science:
“Pompeii was sealed like a time capsule for 1,600 years.
“It opens your eyes to people very similar to us and very different.”
Hartnett said the destruction of Pompeii was a “democratic destruction”—people of all economic classes were killed.
