The start of official excavations at Pompeii (J1-5)

(PAH I, Part 1, pp. 1—2)

In the earliest days of excavation, the Spanish engineers working for Charles VII believed that they were uncovering the ancient town of Stabiae. Nearby Gragnano is the site of a villa. We learn that one of the main reasons for starting the new dig was that progress at Herculaneum was slow and difficult. This site had first been struck at the bottom of a well in 1711, and Charles VII had restarted digging there in 1738. The excavators there had to dig through many metres of solidified pyroclastic deposits, via a system of airless tunnels underground. Pompeii, by contrast, was less deeply covered by layers of generally lighter volcanic material (chiefly pumice stones). These reports set the tone for the excavations, with their search for artistic finds and lack of interest in the ruins themselves.

J1 23 March 1748

Having begun in the last days to make an on-the-spot inspection of the channel which carries water to the Munitions Factory of Torre Annunziata, and on the basis of information which I had previously received — in particular from the Officer Don Juan Bernardo Boschi — according to whom there is in these parts a place called Civita, approximately 2 miles from the aforementioned Torre, where there have been found some statues and other remains of the ancient town of Stabiae, I believed it timely to visit the place and to gather some information. I have arrived at the firm belief that some monuments and ancient treasures could be found there, with less work than we are engaged in here. And seeing that nothing special has been found in these excavations for some time now, despite the fact that digging continues in the middle of the ruins, I wanted very greatly to suspend these works for a while and to go and carry out a trial with the same men in the above-named locality of Civita, and also at Gragnano, which is another place not very far away.

J2 6 April 1748

In the excavation which we have begun at Torre Annunziata, the first thing which we have discovered is a painting 11 ft long and 41/2 ft tall, which contains two large festoons of fruit and flowers; a very large and well-executed head of a man; a helmet; an owl; various birds and other things. I think that it is one of the better pieces of painting found up until now. And after the sculptor had come here this morning to see it, I gave instructions for it to be cut out on Tuesday. His Majesty was informed of this in the afternoon and he ordered a stretcher to be brought to take it, as the Officer has arranged, since this is the most convenient way of avoiding damaging it.