Night at the Museum

Hello everyone!  I'm now happily settled in and working away at my second summer project in ancient Corinth, Greece, but I have a few more Italy posts to share.  Just before leaving Pompeii, I was lucky enough to take an amazing night tour of the ancient city.  Seeing it at night was a dream come true.  The tour was completely magical.


We started outside the city walls, in one of Pompeii's necropoleis.  I study Pompeii's tombs, so this was my favorite part of the evening.  Amazing! 



I spend so much time thinking about these tombs that they are all like old friends to me.  



The tour used some artificial lighting on the monuments, but the streets were lit almost entirely by lanterns.  It was incredible to get a small glimpse at how a Roman would have seen Pompeii at night. 


 

Light effects were used in a few places, like here, where blue and green lights were used to imitate water flowing through an ornamental channel.  Thankfully, everything was tastefully done.







Pompeii is home to many stray dogs who "adopt" our excavation team during the summer.  A big group came with us on the tour - they were so excited to see us on site in the nighttime! 


This one is Vesuvio, a young german shepherd who's been living at Pompeii for the past two years - I miss him already. 



I've been in Pompeii's amphitheater more times than I can count, but never has it been more impressive than when viewed under the moonlight. 





I can't imagine a better way to say goodbye to my home-away-from-home.  I'll miss you, Pompeii.  See you next year.


I'm an archaeologist who lives in America during the year, but travels to Italy and Greece to conduct research every summer.  I'm currently living and working in (and blogging from) Pompei, Italy, where I spend my days digging up the ancient city.