鮮やかによみがえる古代都市、ポンペイの修復作業終了

【ポンペイＡＦＰ＝時事】2014年から行われていたイタリアの古代ローマ都市ポンペイの大規模修復作業が18日、終了した。今回の修復作業では鮮やかなフレスコ画なども新たに発見されている。（写真はイタリアのポンペイで、修復作業が終わり公開された「果樹園の家」の壁。Press　office　of　the　Archaeological　Site　of　Pompeii提供）
　修復作業は管理不足や悪天候の影響が原因で一連の倒壊が発生したことを受け、２０１３年、国連教育科学文化機関（ユネスコ）が世界遺産登録を取り消す可能性があると警告したことがきっかけとなり実施されたもの。作業には考古学者、建築家、技術者、地質学者、人類学者が参加。費用は１億１３００万ドル（約１２５億円）に上ったが、大部分は欧州連合（ＥＵ）が支援した。
　ポンペイは西暦７９年、ベズビオ火山の大噴火により消滅した。この時、大量の火山灰に覆われたことにより、犠牲者の遺体だけではなく、建物の多くがほぼ元の状態で保存されている。
　作業では壁を補強し、崩壊した建物を修繕し、これまで手付かずだった地域での発掘も実施された。この結果、いくつかの新しい発見があった。
　昨年１０月には、剣闘士（グラディエーター）を描いた鮮やかなフレスコ画が発掘された。フレスコ画には、よろいを身に着けて立つ勝者と、傷口から血を流しながらよろめく敗者が描かれている。発掘された場所は剣闘士や売春婦が集う酒場だったと考えられる。
　また２０１８年に発見された家屋跡に書き残された文字から、ポンペイがベズビオ火山の噴火で壊滅的な被害を受けたのは、これまで考えられていた西暦７９年８月２４日ではなく、同年１０月１７日以降だったことも分かった。
　修復作業中は、当時の上流階級の住居「ドムス」など一部公開が中止されていたが、現在は再開されている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/02/21-08:14）

Vivid frescoes and never-before-seen inscriptions were among the treasures unearthed in a massive years-long restoration of the world-famous archeological site Pompeii that came to a close Tuesday.
The painstaking project saw an army of workers reinforce walls, repair collapsing structures and excavate untouched areas of the sprawling site, Italy's second most visited tourist destination after Rome's Colosseum.
New discoveries were made too, in areas of the ruins not yet explored by modern-day archaeologists at the site -- frequently pillaged for jewels and artefacts over the centuries.
When you excavate in Pompeii there are always surprises, the site's general director Massimo Osanna told reporters Tuesday.
Archeologists discovered in October a vivid fresco depicting an armour-clad gladiator standing victorious as his wounded opponent gushes blood, painted in a tavern believed to have housed the fighters as well as prostitutes.
And in 2018, an inscription was uncovered that proves the city near Naples was destroyed after October 17, 79 AD, and not on August 24 as previously believed.
That might not be the end of fresh discoveries.
It's certain that by carrying out other excavation projects in areas never explored before, the discoveries will be extraordinary, Osanna added.
Kicked off in 2014, the restoration enlisted teams of archaeologists, architects, engineers, geologists and anthropologists and cost $113 million (105 million euros), largely covered by the European Union.
The project was initiated after UNESCO warned in 2013 it could strip the site of its World Heritage status after a series of collapses blamed on lax maintenance and bad weather.
But the project has breathed new life into the historic site.
On Tuesday, workers carefully restored ancient frescoes, hues dulled by years of dirt and calcifications, and cleaned off centuries-old tile floors.
You have to be careful not to take off too much, explained Aldo Guida, who was scratching at the surface of the oxblood walls of the House of Lovers, a two-storey home in the complex that was closed for repair after an earthquake in 1980.
Little by little, he added, with a smile.
The giant eruption of Mount Vesuvius devastated the ancient Roman city of Pompeii nearly 2,000 years ago, covering everything in its path with volcanic ash.
That sediment helped to preserve many buildings almost in their original state, as well as the curled-up corpses of Vesuvius' victims.
Some of the site has been closed to the public during the restoration, including several domus -- family residences for the upper classes -- that have been since reopened to the public.
The House of Orchards domus features intricately detailed frescoes of fruit trees and birds, while the House of the Ship Europa boasts a sketch of a large merchant ship.
Though the bulk of the restoration work is now complete, director Osanna said running repairs will never truly be over.
It's a city in ruins, he said. The attention we pay to it must never stop.