Bodies from the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii

by James M. Deem

Overview

In ancient times, Pompeii was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire. Its 20,000 inhabitants lived in the shadow of Vesuvius, which they believed was a mountain. But Vesuvius was an active volcano, and within twenty-four hours of its eruption, the city was destroyed. Hundreds of years later, archaeologists unearthed what was buried under the rubble. The most unexpected and extraordinary discovery? The imprints of Pompeiians, their deaths captured as if by photographic images in volcanic ash.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781328740830
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/03/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	10.80(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	1120L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

James M. Deem is the author of numerous books for young readers, including 3 NB of Julian Drew, Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Rediscovery of the Past, and Faces From the Past. Mr. Deem lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona.

Editorial Reviews

"With incredibly engrossing images and narrative, this is a powerful and poignant piece of nonfiction."–School Library Journal, starred School Library Journal, Starred

"The jewels here are the numerous black-and-white (and some color) photographs. . . . Excellent for browsers as well as researchers." ––Booklist Booklist, ALA —

From the Publisher

Gr 4-8-In A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted and within 24 hours, ash, pumice, and volcanic rubble had covered, and annihilated, the city of Pompeii. It was not until the 18th century that workers began to uncover the remains of this nearly forgotten, except in legend, city and its inhabitants. In this well-researched account, Deem retells the story of this devastating eruption, combining a lively text with photographs of the bones and artifacts that have been unearthed through the years. In 1863, an excavator discovered a fascinating way to study human remains. As bodies covered in hot ash and enveloped by volcanic material decayed, spaces were left around the skeletons. After the hollow areas were filled with plaster, the surrounding debris was chipped away, resulting in detailed plaster casts that preserved "imprints of the people's dying moments," showing their facial expressions and body positions as well as their clothing and possessions. Deem explains how scientists have used these molds and other evidence to piece together the life styles and final moments of some of the victims, and conveys these heart-wrenching tales. Dramatic photographs of the casts capture the horror of this event and help readers to envision day-to-day life in this civilization. With incredibly engrossing images and narrative, this is a powerful and poignant piece of nonfiction.-Jodi Kearns, University of Akron, OH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

This fascinating exploration of the buried city of Pompeii begins with a recreation of the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius and ends with a snapshot of Pompeii today. In between are packed details of the various excavations that have led to our current knowledge of both the life and death of the city. Weaving in the contemporary account of Younger Pliny and the archaeological evidence, the narrative meticulously describes the effects of the various stages of the eruption on the inhabitants and the topography of Pompeii and its neighboring communities. The city's rediscovery receives equally careful coverage, a whole chapter covering Giuseppe Fiorelli's revolutionary technique of creating plaster casts of the victims from the cavities left by their bodies. Avoiding the opportunity to sensationalize, Deem's consistently respectful treatment places the humanity of the victims at the fore. One signal weakness, however, is that the photographs that generously illustrate this volume are not identified or dated within the caption, leaving readers in the dark as to what is archival and what is modern. (bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews