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Title: Treasure from ancient Pompeii unveiled
Source:
CNN
URL Source: http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/scienc ... pompeii.treasure.ap/index.html
Published: Jul 18, 2005
Author: AP
Post Date: 2005-07-20 10:33:23 by robin
Keywords: Treasure, unveiled, ancient
Views: 116
Comments: 4
ROME, Italy (AP) -- Decorated cups and fine silver platters were once again polished and on display Monday as archaeologists unveiled an ancient Roman dining set that lay hidden for two millennia in the volcanic ash of Pompeii. In 2000, archaeologists found a wicker basket containing the silverware in the ruins of a thermal bath near the remains of the Roman city, said Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, head of Pompeii's archaeological office. The basket was filled with the volcanic ash that buried the city when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79. When experts X-rayed it, they saw the objects preserved in the ash, which killed thousands of people but kept the town almost intact, providing precious information on domestic life in the ancient world. Experts have spent the last five years extracting and restoring the 20 pieces of silver that were left behind by their owners as they fled the eruption, Guzzo said as he presented the treasure to authorities and the media in Rome. During the following months, researchers will study the set and hope to learn more about the city's economic status at the time of its destruction, Guzzo said. The pieces will then go on display in 2006 at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, 18 miles north of Pompeii, he said.
Poster Comment: 
Roman dining set hidden for 2,000 years in the volanic ash. 
Detail on one of the cups provides clues on the domestic life in the ancient world. 
Experts have spent 5 years extracting and restoring the 20 pieces of silver.
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#1. To: robin (#0)
Gorgeous pieces.
Can you imagine the cost of these pieces? I recently found out that the silver we inherited from my husband's grandmother was worth a huge amount of money. One spoon is worth $42.50!
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force you are ruined... The great object is that every man be armed... Everyone who is able may have a gun." -- Patrick Henry
If your gran had lived in Pompeii, the spoon would have soared into the priceless category. Silver is trying to establish $7/oz as its price, and that's probably a better value than gold at $420/oz - for whatever that may be worth to the forum. ;-)
What happened to the other 10? 2000 years ago, people were the same as now. Scientific American recently had an article on when the human mind, as we have it today, arose. It used to be put at 40,000 years ago, but new finds in Africa make it look like 80,000. Homo sapiens in our physical form go back something like 175,000 years.
#2. To: lodwick (#1)
#3. To: CAPPSMADNESS (#2)
#4. To: robin (#0)
20 pieces of silver
clues on the domestic life in the ancient world.
I've already said too much.
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