Pompeii's streets were in the structured formation of a grid with the main streets running from North to South and West to East which connect and intersect with various other streets. The streets linked up to the main districts and public buildings so citizens could easily navigate themselves around the town and arrive at their location.
Pompeii kerbstone with iron staining
Analysis
The streets of Pompeii show us how the people of Pompeii travelled through their town and helps us to understand how the Romans structurally designed their streets and roads. From this artefact we can see how the Romans paved their streets as the cobblestones of the streets were made from large blocks of lava from Mt Vesuvius and on most streets these stones were perfectly fitted together, this took skill and craftsmanship. Streets varied in width but no streets were wider than 4.5 metres these wider streets were two way streets but many streets which were much more narrow could only fit in one way traffic. Such traffic consisted of chariots or carts and we can be certain of this due to the ruts (wheel tracks) created in many of the streets which made a very distinct wear patterns and indentations up to 6 inches deep.1 The vehicles that created these ruts would mainly be carts with two or four wheels that were used to transport goods, food and other materials, their wheels were rimmed with iron and in some streets iron stains are still visible. This adds to our knowledge on how people in Pompeii used their roads and what materials they made their cart wheels out of, from these ruts in the road we are also able to tell the directional flow of traffic in different streets. In some places ruts were purposely cut into narrow streets to help guide carts between the kerbs 2 and in other places no ruts were found in the streets so we can assume that traffic flow was restricted or the street was closed to wheeled traffic. At different points down the streets there are strategically placed street-crossings made of large stone slabs that are the same high as the pavement - these "crosswalks" were made to enable people to cross the street without coming into contact with the organic waste, water and filth that accumulated in the streets. The street crossing slabs were placed in a particular way so that there were spaces between them where carts could still pass through and they were adjusted to the height and width of the wheel axles. 3 Waste build up occurred in the streets because Pompeii had no adequate sewage system or drainage system for the gutters and the people who lived along the streets in homes and shops would often throw their trash and waste water out into the streets. In many cases, the houses lining the streets had a shop on the bottom level (which was rented out by the owner) and an apartment above where plebeians lived in poor conditions. The houses/shops were built very close together and were right next to the street. This adds to our knowledge of Roman life as we can see how and where people lived on streets and our views about waste management and how the citizens avoided waste are expanded. Most streets were slightly raised in the centre, so waste and water could run into the gutters along the side but this was rather ineffective since there was no drainage system. The Kerbs on the street were usually at least 30 centimetres higher than the actual street as this allowed the sidewalks to be separated from the street waste and also ensured that the sidewalk was not affected when the streets were flooded in an attempt to clean them.
The streets of Pompeii show us how the people of Pompeii travelled through their town and helps us to understand how the Romans structurally designed their streets and roads. From this artefact we can see how the Romans paved their streets as the cobblestones of the streets were made from large blocks of lava from Mt Vesuvius and on most streets these stones were perfectly fitted together, this took skill and craftsmanship. Streets varied in width but no streets were wider than 4.5 metres these wider streets were two way streets but many streets which were much more narrow could only fit in one way traffic. Such traffic consisted of chariots or carts and we can be certain of this due to the ruts (wheel tracks) created in many of the streets which made a very distinct wear patterns and indentations up to 6 inches deep.1 The vehicles that created these ruts would mainly be carts with two or four wheels that were used to transport goods, food and other materials, their wheels were rimmed with iron and in some streets iron stains are still visible. This adds to our knowledge on how people in Pompeii used their roads and what materials they made their cart wheels out of, from these ruts in the road we are also able to tell the directional flow of traffic in different streets. In some places ruts were purposely cut into narrow streets to help guide carts between the kerbs 2 and in other places no ruts were found in the streets so we can assume that traffic flow was restricted or the street was closed to wheeled traffic. At different points down the streets there are strategically placed street-crossings made of large stone slabs that are the same high as the pavement - these "crosswalks" were made to enable people to cross the street without coming into contact with the organic waste, water and filth that accumulated in the streets. The street crossing slabs were placed in a particular way so that there were spaces between them where carts could still pass through and they were adjusted to the height and width of the wheel axles. 3 Waste build up occurred in the streets because Pompeii had no adequate sewage system or drainage system for the gutters and the people who lived along the streets in homes and shops would often throw their trash and waste water out into the streets. In many cases, the houses lining the streets had a shop on the bottom level (which was rented out by the owner) and an apartment above where plebeians lived in poor conditions. The houses/shops were built very close together and were right next to the street. This adds to our knowledge of Roman life as we can see how and where people lived on streets and our views about waste management and how the citizens avoided waste are expanded. Most streets were slightly raised in the centre, so waste and water could run into the gutters along the side but this was rather ineffective since there was no drainage system. The Kerbs on the street were usually at least 30 centimetres higher than the actual street as this allowed the sidewalks to be separated from the street waste and also ensured that the sidewalk was not affected when the streets were flooded in an attempt to clean them.
Conclusions
The evidence of the streets in Pompeii is unique because it shows us many aspects of Roman engineering in 79AD that we have not observed at any other ancient site. The eruption of Mt Vesuvius was significant because it froze the streets of Pompeii in the exact state that they were in during 79AD and subsequently protected them from modernisation and development so we can accurately see how the Romans constructed their streets at this specific time. The way that the Romans in Pompeii used lava segments to pave their streets is another way that the streets of Pompeii are unique. This extends our knowledge of Roman life as we can see how they put time and effort into skilfully paving their streets and that they used the resources available to them - slabs of lava from the nearby Mt Vesuvius. So the eruption of Mt Vesuvius was significant because it allowed us to obtain this new knowledge. The street-crossings which appear on the streets are also a completely unique contribution to our knowledge of Roman life as they have never been found at any other ancient Roman sites. These stepping stones are the closely resemble the pedestrian crossings that we have today as our pedestrian crossings and the ancient Roman pedestrian crossings are both made for people to cross the street at specific intervals. The difference is how we use them, today we use our pedestrian crossings to stop traffic and cross safely but the Romans used theirs in order to avoid the waste on their streets and keep their feet dry - this most likely also protected their health as they did not have to directly come into contact with the waste. These crossings are very unique as they show us how at specific time, how the Romans had a problem and what they did to solve their problem. If Mt Vesuvius had no erupted then over time the Romans in Pompeii would have constructed a proper sewage system and they would have got rid of their street-crossings as they no longer needed them. This would have limited our knowledge of ancient Roman road building and problem-solving but because of the significant eruption of Mt Vesuvius, the streets and their pedestrian crossings were saved from reconstruction and modernisation. From the streets of Pompeii we can also see how big the roads needed to be to fit one or two carts at a time and that the streets were never wider than 4.5 metres. The eruption of Mt Vesuvius has protected the streets in Pompeii from the expansion which would have eventually occurred as carts and chariots developed into bigger vehicles and traffic became busier. Because of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius we are able to see how developed the streets of Roman towns were in 79AD. Other unique details such as the wheel tracks of carts have also been preserved which allow experts to map out the exact direction of traffic, creating an even better idea of what it was like to live in a ancient Roman town. We are also able to view the proximity of the houses to the street at this time and the structure of the houses near the street, this proves that the eruption of Mt Vesuvius was significant as it stopped the houses in Pompeii from being demolished and replaced with more modern versions.
The evidence of the streets in Pompeii is unique because it shows us many aspects of Roman engineering in 79AD that we have not observed at any other ancient site. The eruption of Mt Vesuvius was significant because it froze the streets of Pompeii in the exact state that they were in during 79AD and subsequently protected them from modernisation and development so we can accurately see how the Romans constructed their streets at this specific time. The way that the Romans in Pompeii used lava segments to pave their streets is another way that the streets of Pompeii are unique. This extends our knowledge of Roman life as we can see how they put time and effort into skilfully paving their streets and that they used the resources available to them - slabs of lava from the nearby Mt Vesuvius. So the eruption of Mt Vesuvius was significant because it allowed us to obtain this new knowledge. The street-crossings which appear on the streets are also a completely unique contribution to our knowledge of Roman life as they have never been found at any other ancient Roman sites. These stepping stones are the closely resemble the pedestrian crossings that we have today as our pedestrian crossings and the ancient Roman pedestrian crossings are both made for people to cross the street at specific intervals. The difference is how we use them, today we use our pedestrian crossings to stop traffic and cross safely but the Romans used theirs in order to avoid the waste on their streets and keep their feet dry - this most likely also protected their health as they did not have to directly come into contact with the waste. These crossings are very unique as they show us how at specific time, how the Romans had a problem and what they did to solve their problem. If Mt Vesuvius had no erupted then over time the Romans in Pompeii would have constructed a proper sewage system and they would have got rid of their street-crossings as they no longer needed them. This would have limited our knowledge of ancient Roman road building and problem-solving but because of the significant eruption of Mt Vesuvius, the streets and their pedestrian crossings were saved from reconstruction and modernisation. From the streets of Pompeii we can also see how big the roads needed to be to fit one or two carts at a time and that the streets were never wider than 4.5 metres. The eruption of Mt Vesuvius has protected the streets in Pompeii from the expansion which would have eventually occurred as carts and chariots developed into bigger vehicles and traffic became busier. Because of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius we are able to see how developed the streets of Roman towns were in 79AD. Other unique details such as the wheel tracks of carts have also been preserved which allow experts to map out the exact direction of traffic, creating an even better idea of what it was like to live in a ancient Roman town. We are also able to view the proximity of the houses to the street at this time and the structure of the houses near the street, this proves that the eruption of Mt Vesuvius was significant as it stopped the houses in Pompeii from being demolished and replaced with more modern versions.
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1 http://archive.archaeology.org
2 http://www.john-knapton.com
3 http://www.bluffton.edu
1 http://archive.archaeology.org
2 http://www.john-knapton.com
3 http://www.bluffton.edu
