Thursday, September 26, 2013
British Museum Exhibition - Topic 2
Much of the British Museum's exhibition focused on the LIFE of the citizens of both Pompeii and Herculaneum. What one object from the exhibition do you feel best exemplifies the subject of EVERYDAY LIFE in either Pompeii or Herculaneum in AD 79? Why do you connect with that object, and what is it about that object that makes it the most telling?
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I think that one of the most representative Pompeiian artifacts was the ornately decorated silver cup. I understand that it wasn't meant for your run of the mill Pompeiians, just your wealthiest folks, but I think that makes it even more interesting. Because, as they said in the movie, who was washing it? Who was polishing it until it gleamed? I hadn't really thought about the whole Roman slavery thing all that much before, but this object made me consider it. It shows the opulence of the highest class and the daily work the lower classes had to complete to keep things running smoothly. It's an image of luxury, but also of labor.
ReplyDeleteI did not even think about the silver cup! But this is so true, the cup did not just come out of nowhere. It did take effort and work for it to get to the wealthy families home. The artisan that made it and decorated it, the merchant that sold it and made money off of it, the slave that picked it up and cleaned it and the family who actually used it. Its a simple object in our everyday lives that we never really even stop to be thankful for.
DeleteWhile I do wonder what the slave was like that washed it, I do not know if it is also a symbol of labor. Washing a cup is not an extremely laborious job; you and I do it every day and we do not (or at least I don't) consider myself enslaved. Someone had to pay for the cup and cared for it enough to buy it, I think these people are just as interesting as the slave who cleaned it.
DeleteI like your point of view on this Kendall. The silver cup also shows traditional changes. The wealthy Pompeiian families had a decorative silver cups just for drinking while in modern day wealthy families just drink out of glass or even plastic cups. To us a cup meant nothing but to the Pompeiians it was a sign of wealth.
DeleteIn response to Kristen, I agree that washing out a cup is not a laborious job but if you think of it from that stand point that someone required another person to wash it for them makes us realize how dependent the society must have been upon slaves. That's why the cup could be considered an image of labor.
DeleteI believe that the object from the exhibition that most reflects everday life in Pompeii and Herculaneum was the loaf of bread. Everyone in these cities ate bread, it was a stable in the diet of the people of the time, and it's still a stable today. There's no class barriers when it comes to bread, the slaves would have eaten the same bread as the masters. The bread represents a mundane task that, on that day in 79CE, was interupped by the explosion of the volcano.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with your opinion. Everybody ate bread as main caloric intake and everybody traveled to the common market to purchase it. Loafs of bread were a constant aspect in Pompeii's daily life.
DeleteI would say the bar scene best exemplifies everyday life. It is an object that is similar to many comical posters in bars today. It is easy to see this just hanging out where people went o grab a drink after work. It also shows everyday life in the scene. The scene they have painted on it gives us a better view ho things might have happened in the bar. It shows how the people would be served, and it even has two guys playing a dice game and having a fight. People still do that today as well.
ReplyDeleteI could see how the bar scene is a good representation of everyday life, but I think there can be problems with that. The painting is almost like how comics are today. They are based off of real life situations, but are often exaggerated for comic purposes.
DeleteI agree that the bar scene shows the everyday life. But, like you said, I think the bar scene would have been too exaggerated so the viewer of the artwork would be able to understand what was going in each panel.Or maybe the artist was trying to explain how clever he was and how he understood the people of Pompeii.
DeleteI think this is a pretty good point. I thought it was really interesting how they were almost like something you'd see today. Also, I was surprised to see that they played the same games and used the same insults that we do.
DeleteI understand your point that these could have been exaggerated comic scenes, but you have to consider what goes on in bars today as well. Humans are violent and territorial, it's not hard to imagine a bar fight today or two thousand years ago. Society may have changed but people themselves have not inherently changed. The representation is probably very accurate and a good depiction of the people and todays society as well.
DeleteGoing back to what Paige and Gabrielle were saying about the exaggeration of the image, I do think a bit of artistic license may have been taken with this. However, that doesn't mean it's any less representative of everyday life! Political cartoons are exaggerated too, and they can be tremendously helpful in understanding the past. I mean seriously, how many times have you been in history class and looked at a political cartoon? Just last week we compared a few in APUSH! I think the possible exaggeration actually helps to understand everyday life, because it also showed what they thought was funny.
DeleteAs Kendall said, the bar scene show such an exaggerated portrayal of seen that it would be funny in Pompeian times. I feel as if this scene would be pictured in the comic section of a newspaper. And the fact that going to the bar was a very common part of the Pompeian life style, it makes this piece a great choice as to represent the lives of the Pompeian people.
DeleteI believe the carbonized loaf of bread is excellent in exemplifying both the Pompeii and Herculaneum citizens' life.Bread was both cities "staple" food meaning that this was something that was eaten routinely everyday and most likely the standard diet for the people. Bread is a piece of food that nurtures the body of all humans and is used for many other purposes, such as religion and in parties and celebrations as well, things people still do today. Pompeiians were known to be a bit more lavish and would've used this for many of their meals. Even so, this food was so common that even the slaves could eat it, sometimes the only meal that could push them into more arduous work. These loaves of bread would have also been signed by the owner, an sign of ownership and task that was ensued so individuals bread wouldn't be confused of each others bread.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really interesting how the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum would label their bread like that it. They could just drop off bread and pick up any other one in return but instead want to be sure that they get their exact bread back.
DeleteI wonder why this tradition didn't stick! Showing up to a restaurant with your food stamped ready to go it so cool. Also I believe that the stamps show how particular the people of Pompeii were with their food; they got to choose their exact type of bread from their own home but also made professionally.
DeleteI can say that the object that represented everyday life of people in Pompeii and Herculaneum was the carbonized burnt bread. The bread is something we take for granted everyday, and that day in 79 A.D. when a slave was grabbing the bread from a bakery on its way back to a family waiting to eat. The family probably never would have thought of not being able to get to eat one last meal because it was something that happened everyday. Something so simple that you never really even think about it. I know when I sit down to eat, I am thankful because I know that there is a chance that every piece of bread I have may be my last and that every meal is a blessing. It is unfortunate that the pompeiian family awaiting their bread never got the chance to realize the blessing they had everyday.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that everyone uses loaves of bread, makes the carbonized loaf of bread the object that represents everyday life in Pompeii. Its really interesting to see think that the traditions started around 60 CE are still present in Italy today, especially in regards to stamping your own bread.
DeleteThe object that best represented everyday life in the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum was the carbonized loaf of bread. The bread gives us an insight into the diet of the people who lived in Herculaneum and Pompeii. Also loaf of bread is an object that everyone in the two cities would have used each day. Each day the slave would go down to the bakery, pick up the loaf of bread and bring it back up to his master for their meals. The really interesting part of the bread is how each loaf had its own stamp. The common usage of the stamp was to mark who owned each loaf so the bread did not go to the wrong person. The cool part about the stamp system is that it is still used in Italian bakeries today!
ReplyDeleteI love that this tradition is still used today because it shows how we are still impacted by societies from so long ago, even those that we destroyed like Pompeii and Herculaneum
DeleteIt is quite amazing how the tradition of stamping your own bread is still strong today. Just imagine how big of an impact it was back then for it to carry on all the way to today.
DeleteI really like how you mentioned elements of the loaf of bread that have related to modern times. The fact that we still use the technique that was used then is unbelievable. Also, I like how you talked about the role of the slaves in relation to the bread and daily life. The slaves had such a prominent role that should be recognized.
DeleteThe scene of the nude woman leaving the bed of her lover exemplifies daily life most accurately in my opinion. You get a look at what happened behind the closed doors of Pompeiian homes and an insight on the common traditions of the society. Although this piece is quite curious due to the unsettling presence of a woman in the background, her presence shows us how Pompeiians would conduct their love life, which is extremely personal and reflects the aspects of Pompeii that aren't commonly shown in their everyday mosaics and portraiture. Whether the woman in the background was a servant ready to lend a helping hand to the main woman, or a sexual participant herself, she shows how shameless and prideful Pompeiians were of sexuality.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting point, but I'm not so sure I would take it at face value. They said that this scene might have been idealized or a sort of fantasy (with the slave girl and everything.) I think we'd have to know more about the context.
DeleteI think that this scene not only exemplifies the aspects you discussed, but also it exemplifies the daily life in terms of the culture. We look at their society as outdated and behind because they didn't have the light bulb or iPhones, but this piece kind of testifies to the fact that every man was bragging about a threesome.
DeleteI actually wanted to talk about this scene too but I was too shy to bring it up haha. Anyways...even though this would have been thought of as a fantasy piece, it resembles certain aspects of daily life as people dream and fantasize about things everyday. Whether it's to find a lover or getting a good grade on a test, as humans we imagine things before they happen and after, as we want to hold onto something abstract as comfort.
DeleteTo be truthful, this piece gave me the chills. The fact that the Pompeiians were so comfortable with their slaves as to have sex in front of them, makes me think of how far we have come in society. For that to be a representation of pompeiian everyday lives makes me wonder the thought process of the people back then and how their minds sorted right from wrong.
DeleteI'd say that the pieces that were most representative of Pompeian life were the jars and bottles full of cosmetics and perfume. I thought that some of the materials they used were really interesting- I think they said something about using goose fat to prevent acne. When you think of people from a civilization that existed thousands of years ago, you tend to think of them as a statistic as opposed to actual human beings. But learning that they had a daily routine of getting ready, how they bathe, put on makeup, or brush their hair humanizes them in a way that I'd never thought about before. It makes it easier for us to draw parallels from their culture and time period to ours.
ReplyDeleteI think this also drives a parallel with our modern times. We look back at life not even in Roman times, but in times before indoor plumbing as horrifying. We quiver at the mere idea that we would not be ale to shower, and how we would never be able to wake up with out our morning routine. It really connects cultures to see that they were not too different hen us in those regards.
DeleteWhen I was watching the Pompeii movie and they announced that the bottles were used to cover up acne I asked myself "wait they even have troubles with blemishes?" It's true that we think of the people of the Roman period as something non-concrete and rely on mere facts about their population and architecture and forget the fact they too were discouraged with their appearance and how others perceived them as.
DeleteYes! While reading the question this was my first thought, these are such mundane objects it's hard to imagine these mysterious ancient people using them just as often as we do. It's hard to believe that these are objects that the people we are studying picked up and interacted with every single day!
DeleteSee, now, after that Pompeiian movie, I look at my hairbrush sometimes and think, "I wonder if 1,000 years from now, kids will be studying this as an example of traditional American life!" I'm sure that the pieces of art, the Pompeiian people thought they were important, but I'm sure they wouldn't think that their perfume bottles would be studied one day.
Deletehaha Paige that is a great point! Little things like the tube of perfume fascinates me so much. Also I loved the jar of moisturizer. It was cool showing that they had creams for their faces because it didnt occur to me that creams where used.
DeleteIt is fascinating to know that the people of Pompeii shared a similar daily routine to us. It shows how over time, cultures adopt elements from the culture before them. I think knowing the daily routines of the people of Pompeii helps us be able to connect with the culture.
DeleteI agree with everyone that the carbonized bread really exemplifies everyday life but I would also include the other carbonized foods. The grains and dates show their overall diet and what they would have for meals on an average day. Its interesting to think they we eat some of the same food today especially since our part of the world would have never seen food like that over two thousand years ago. It shows that we are still connected to these people even if only in small ways.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great point you make about expanding outside of the commonly used loaf of bread and move to all the carbonized food that was found. It does give a sense of diversity in the life of the people, since it seems like that, from the emphasis on the bread, that all the Pompeiian people art was bread!
DeleteThat's actually so true, I had completely forgotten about all the other food! And, although it was kind of gross, it's astounding how they could analyze sewer remains to determine the typical Pompeiian diet. Also, I really like the connection you made to modern day society. Sometimes, I forget about these similarities.
DeleteIts so weird to think about how all of the foods and grains we have as staples today, were staples for people back then as well.
DeleteArden, I really like how you made the point about how there were other carbonized foods. These foods that survived gave us insight into what the people of Pompeii ate for meals, which is important to know in order to understand their culture. I agree with both you and Kendall that it is fascinating that we ate the same food as people that lived thousands of years ago!
DeleteI think the image of the woman getting ready for her day is extremely representative. Everyone has to get ready, and although this may have been a bit of a fantasy version of the process, it is still something all of us do on a daily basis. When they described her process, I realized that women have been doing the same things for millennia. Doing my hair, make-up, and dressing is obviously a vital part of my day, and the fact that the Pompeians decided to eternally preserve such a mundane moment exemplifies what they value and found interesting.
ReplyDeleteLike someone else above about the cups, I think the image of the women getting ready only represents one, small part of society. The women in the painting would have been upperclass, since they normally have slaves with them, and if you are a working person (as many Pompeiian women did) then you wouldn't have several hours to get ready and focus on your looks.
DeleteIt's quite interesting to see that getting ready like that in morning (all the hair and makeup stuff) has been a common tradition for many cultures for all these years. Even though Paige did mention that this was a slightly narrow piece, I believe that since hierarchy and class structure was so important to Pompeiians that everyone would put a little time and effort into getting ready to the best of their abilities.
DeleteThis is true Kristen but just remember that their hair would take about 2-3 hours to do. And they would always have slaves there to do their hair for them, the slave was just not shown in the image.
DeleteI agree that this image was interesting, but not exactly representative of everyone's everyday life. Sure, the women shown had hours to spend on her appearance, but just like today, this isn't everyone. Some celebrities spend hours getting their hair done and legs airbrushed and faces painted on, which is the equivalent of what is shown here, but it takes me about ten minutes or less to do my makeup, and some people don't wear any at all, and that lower end of the spectrum isn't really represented.
DeleteThis piece was not exactly a huge representation of everyday life of the majority, though it was surely important to many. I am sure even though it will be disagreed on, that the slaves probably did fix their hair in the morning, I mean don't we all? Even our WEB days still urge us to put a little effort into our appearance no matter what we tell ourselves how unimportant those short days are.
DeleteI think it is interesting how we still do the same daily process as the women back in Pompeii. But to me, this piece does not exactly represent Pompeii as a whole. This is really only showing the wealthier people in Pompeii, who could afford to spend time getting ready for this. Also, most likely there would be a slave there helping the woman get ready, who is not even present in this image.
DeleteI think it is interesting how we still do the same daily process as the women back in Pompeii. But to me, this piece does not exactly represent Pompeii as a whole. This is really only showing the wealthier people in Pompeii, who could afford to spend time getting ready for this. Also, most likely there would be a slave there helping the woman get ready, who is not even present in this image.
DeleteDefinitely! The perfume bottles and cosmetics get deep into the nitty-gritty of Pompeii's daily life. It shows the common and accepted fashion/makeup trends of the time and how focused Pompeiians were on beauty and looking their best- even though the thought goose fat grosses the majority of us out.
ReplyDeletewait.. sorry! this entry was supposed to be a reply to Sydney's post!
DeleteThe main object that popped out at me was the loaf of bread. The loaf of bread itself did not catch my eye, it was the tradition of the bread stamps. It is interesting that you would bring in your own dough and have someone else make the bread for you. And creating a stamp to know which bread is yours is very fascinating.
ReplyDeleteYea and it is even more fascinating that this was an everyday thing. Usually that would kind of be a special request thing now-a-days, but back then it was a common everyday thing to ask the bake to bake your bread for you.
DeleteJordan, I think its really fascinating that although having the baker bake your bread may be a special request type of thing, the traditions of these old civilizations survive in todays culture. As the baker said in the video too, people in Italy still mark their bread with a stamp as well, which is crazy to think that the tradition has lasted almost 2000 years.
DeleteThis is a very interesting point. It is very original and creative of the people of Pompeii to make the idea of having the bread stamp, which is still used today. But it also makes me wonder why they cared so much which bread they got back, and why did they bring their own dough. Was there certain type of dough used for wealthier families and other for less wealthier families?
DeleteAn object that best exemplifies the daily life of the people of Pompeii would have to be the fresco of the man and the woman drinking together in the bedroom while being attended by a slave. This shows that sex was very common in Pompeii and the bedroom was the place for this. People were not at all modest when it came to sex. Daily life is also shown by the slave being in this fresco. It was not uncommon for slaves to be in the bedroom while a man and woman would be having sex. Slaves were very important to the wealthy and they were at times ignored but the family did trust them enough to not care if they were in the bedroom while the husband and wife were having sex. Most people would not see this as a piece to accurately portray daily life, but to me sex was just as common as food or any other household item.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you say when you said sex was as common as food or any other household item. Sex in Pompeii was normal to display, and to us it is very surprising that the people were not modest about sex. I think the fresco really can give us an understanding of the dramatic difference between life today and life in Pompeii.
DeleteI think an object that really represents the daily life of the people in Pompeii is the loaf of bread. I think a lot of the other objects founds really only represents certain people, such as the slaves, or as the wealthier class. But i think the loaf of bread really represents all the people in Pompeii. The bread was made and stamped by the baker, showing his hard work he put into his bread, so he could get paid and support his family. This shows us there were jobs offered in Pompeii. The bread was picked up by a slave,and brought back to a wealthy family (most likely). Although it is just a loaf of bread, I think the story of this bread can really show us different aspects about how life in Pompeii worked.
ReplyDelete