Reasons for choosing Pompeii for the exhibition and the ethical issues related to its display
The reason in which this exhibit has been opened to display on the happenings and destruction of Pompeii is to purely educate and gain an understanding of life back in the Roman Empire and the sort of society that Pompeii was just out of curiosity and passion sake. The remains of the city provide very valuable insight into the everyday life of the people of Pompeii with religion, trade and industry being of big significance throughout the town. This exhibition grants us the ability to relive the past and to rediscover the intentions of the people of Pompeii and that was mostly trade and wealth with the city being a major port town that exported products all throughout the Mediterranean Sea.
Inscriptions also found in the stone walls in the streets including insults, accusations and the scribbling’s of children also offer us an insight into the life of the lesser such as the beggars and slaves. This offers us finally another side to the story as to daily life in Pompeii other than the going about of the wealthy and better off.
However, ethical issues do arise when presenting exhibits and historical findings such as Pompeii involving human remains. The question is raised on whether we should be displaying the human remains of the victims of Mt. Vesuvius. Well in my personal opinion as a curator I have ensure that all measures to respect and acknowledge these ethical issues on my part have been taken into account for such as not modifying and/or obscuring the past by providing false information.
Not only I take into account the ethical issues revolving the bodies of Pompeii but so do the archaeologists working on sight at Pompeii as they take care to not forge the past by wrongly repairing the artefacts without making it obvious.
Although the ethical issues regarding the reconstruction of the past have been taken into account, we must also take into account the ethical issues regarding ownership and not denying the rights of those who are connected to or involved in the historical exhibit. Some may argue that displaying the Pompeii bodies would go against ethical practice as the models are real people carrying the real and detailed expressions of death that may not only upset/offended those who are related to the victims, but also the tourists and viewers of the remains. To ensure that this exhibit does not do such a thing, there is more of a focus on the context in which the bodies died, not the bodies themselves as little can be learned from a plaster cast.
Inscriptions also found in the stone walls in the streets including insults, accusations and the scribbling’s of children also offer us an insight into the life of the lesser such as the beggars and slaves. This offers us finally another side to the story as to daily life in Pompeii other than the going about of the wealthy and better off.
However, ethical issues do arise when presenting exhibits and historical findings such as Pompeii involving human remains. The question is raised on whether we should be displaying the human remains of the victims of Mt. Vesuvius. Well in my personal opinion as a curator I have ensure that all measures to respect and acknowledge these ethical issues on my part have been taken into account for such as not modifying and/or obscuring the past by providing false information.
Not only I take into account the ethical issues revolving the bodies of Pompeii but so do the archaeologists working on sight at Pompeii as they take care to not forge the past by wrongly repairing the artefacts without making it obvious.
Although the ethical issues regarding the reconstruction of the past have been taken into account, we must also take into account the ethical issues regarding ownership and not denying the rights of those who are connected to or involved in the historical exhibit. Some may argue that displaying the Pompeii bodies would go against ethical practice as the models are real people carrying the real and detailed expressions of death that may not only upset/offended those who are related to the victims, but also the tourists and viewers of the remains. To ensure that this exhibit does not do such a thing, there is more of a focus on the context in which the bodies died, not the bodies themselves as little can be learned from a plaster cast.