Reflections on "A Day in Pompeii"

If you've ever been to Pompeii, you know the overwhelming sensation of experiencing a moment frozen in time. It's a mecca for ancient history fanatics, that archaeological site off the highway between Rome and Naples. I made it a must-see on the Italian excursion we took a few years ago, and I relived a bit of that mystique Thursday morning at the preview for Discovery Place's new Pompeii exhibit.

The exhibit is 13,000 square feet of something most people won't ever see in person, artifacts taken from the preserved ruins of Pompeii and its surrounding community. These are the real deal, pieces on loan to Discovery Place and three other museums from the official Pompeiian archaeological authority. And it's worth a trip to Charlotte, though I'd recommend waiting till September, when the interactive area opens. Right now, it's several rooms woven together with a theme of "a day in the life," which is an excellent way to experience the collection, but without the interactivity it's more an adult adventure than a family affair. My 14-year-old can attest to that. She got up early and rode with me, then walked through the exhibit on her own, giving me a report when she finished (plus writing a small review for today's Ticket ... check it in the online section).

I'd recommend paying the $2 ($1 for the kids) to get the audio guide. It's informative and it comes in two versions, adult and kid-friendly. I listened to both, where offered (not every aspect of the exhibit features a kid interpretation), and found the kid version to give me the basics for enjoying the collection.

Take a few minutes, too, to watch the short video. It provides (with English and Spanish subtitles) a brief, but comprehensive overview of what you'll see as you wander through.

At the start, the exhibit emphasizes the tragedy of Mount Vesuvius with posters documenting more familiar natural disasters. Mount Saint Helens. Hurricane Katrina. The 2004 tsunami. The level of destruction is unimaginable, but the connection to modern-day reality brings the point home. I think the interactive floor map planned in September, which details active and dormant volcanoes around the world, will make it even more succinct.

August 24, 79. The day started normally, the thermopolia (fast-food restaurants, which the kid audio guide explains in a humourous, simple fashion) were busy and life was filling the streets. As you wind through the exhibit, pause to examine the jewelry, the trinkets recovered from under centuries of ash. These were people, just like you and me. Of course, they ate reclining on the couch instead of sitting at a table ... oh, wait, I think we do that sometimes, too. And I want that day bed. It's gorgeous.

One of the most remarkable sites I found in Pompeii was the frescoes. Deep, rich colors, some more vibrant than a painting finished hours ago. You see a glimpse of that at Discovery Place, where the garden portion features an exquisite 15-foot fresco. You can just imagine sitting beside it, perhaps a toe dipped in a narrow pool.

Just as you're being absorbed in the everyday life, the mundane reality of Pompeii, you turn the corner into darkness, black walls guiding you with eyewitness account of the eruption of Vesuvius. In that final room are the body casts, a half dozen plaster reminders of life, created when plaster was poured into empty cavities where humans and animals died buried under the ash. A woman tries to cover her face, her clothes imprinted on her body. A guard dog struggles to free himself. A man sits in a hauntingly familiar position, knees bent and head down, against a wall.
I recall seeing body casts at Pompeii, goosebumps chilling my arms in the summer heat, thinking about how life was ended in a heartbeat, preserved for eternity. It is no less tingling in a dark room in Charlotte.

The exhibit is in Charlotte through December, and while you'll get a lot of it anytime, I'd wait till the interactive area's ready in September, especially if you have attention-span-deficient types (adults or kids). History is more engaging when it's interactive.