a children's literature monthly | Volume I, Issue 4
May 2006 |
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:: non fiction |
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by Liz Burns, A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy
Bodies From the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii
By James H. Deem
Photos! Maps! Original sources! Multiple Subjects! Do history books get better than this?
Bodies From the Ash contains many stories. Pompeii: a Roman city during the early days of the Empire. It's also
Pompeii: the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that buried a city and its people. And Pompeii: the science behind the
bodies. And Pompeii: the evolution of archaeology from treasure hunting to science. Finally, Pompeii: the preservation and
storage of artifacts.
One of the things I have always loved about history is the ability to glimpse a different world. Because of the quick
destruction of Pompeii, and the way the city was buried, Pompeii provides a unique look into the past. Because Pompeii was
covered with dust, ash, gas, and stone, when the bodies of the dead decayed a space was left; when a space is found, plaster
is poured in, resulting in detailed plaster casts. We can look on the faces of people who lived more than a thousand years
ago. And the buildings were also preserved: we can see their homes, the graffiti on the walls; look at the possessions they
chose to take when they tried to flee. Bodies from the Ash is about this history; but it also is about how the first people
who realized the ancient city and its treasures were still intact dug holes not to discover the past but to get jewelry and
statues. Afterwards came the realization that the plaster process could be done, and that what was below the surface was
more valuable than jewels.
All of these stories weave together into one narrative about life and death in Ancient Pompeii. This isn't about history
that is dead and buried in the past; it's about history that is alive. It's alive in the unexcavated areas of the ancient
city; in the ongoing pursuit to both explore the city and preserve what has been found; and in the still active nearby
volcano. And it's photos! I could sit all day just looking at the photos and the maps, planning an imaginary trip to
Pompeii to see the excavations for myself.
Bodies From the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii, by James H. Deem. Houghton Mifflin, 2005. ISBN: 0-6184-7308-4.
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