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Although the excavation techniques were crude, many magnificent items were recovered from the excavations under Weber's supervision.
Many of these were in much better condition than those uncovered in nearly Pompeii due to the manner of burial. The statuary, for example, both bronze and marble in many cases survived virtually unscathed.
The bronze head, opposite, was unearthed in 1754 and was initially thought to be of the Roman philosopher and writer Seneca, although this now seems unlikely.
Weber's work was continued by his successor, Francesco La Vega. Between them they produced as complete a plan as was possible at that time. Interest gradually moved to the neighbouring site of Pompeii, which proved to be an easier site to plunder.
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It wasn't until 1828 that excavations restarted in Herculaneum, this time using the open trench system that was proving so successful in Pompeii. (The watercolour opposite by William Hamilton is of the Temple of Isis, Pompeii, discovered in 1765).
Only a few remains were unearthed and excavation was halted after a period of seven years.
In 1869 excavations were again restarted, this time under the control of Guiseppe Fiorelli, who, due mainly to his work in Pompeii, became one of the 'greats' of Italian archeology. This period of excavation only lasted six years and failed to produce
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any significant finds. The excavations were finally reopened in 1927 by Amedeo Maiuri. This time, excavations were worked methodically from the surface down, leaving as much as possible in-situ. What became clear was that Herculaneum was different from Pompeii, certainly far less commercial, perhaps more relaxed.
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In 1982 a remarkable discovery contradicted earlier claims that the eruption caused few casualties in the town. In stone boathouses, which lined the ancient shoreline, excavators unearthed dozens of skeletons struck down where they lay, sheltering from the onslaught of ashes, mud and rock.
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Only a section (that nearest the waterfront) of Herculaneum has been fully excavated so far.
The photograph below shows the extent of the open excavations (the curving road on the right is an access road to the site). What still lies underneath Resina, renamed Ercolano in the late 1970s, can only be imagined.
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At some time in the future excavations will regain momentum, but preservation of existing discoveries is no less important.
Neglect, or Vesuvius, may yet be the ruin of Herculaneum.
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