P R E S S R E L E A S E J a n u a r y

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1 P R E S S R E L E A S E J a n u a r y

2 T H E W A R O F T H E B I R D S H e r c u l a n e u m s F a l c o n s T a k e O f f am, 1 9 J a n u a r y Ancient Herculaneum, one of the sites run by the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei, and whose extraordinary remains have been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is inhabited by a large community of pigeons. In a few days time, falcons will fly over the site, making their own contribution to the fight against decay. This issue has been under consideration by the Soprintendenza for a long time. The problem of pigeons is definitely one of our priorities, explains Maria Paola Guidobaldi, director of excavations at Herculaneum. Drawing inspiration from experimental projects at a number of Italian airports, she intends to tackle the pigeon infestation with falcons. This will form part of the Herculaneum Conservation Project, an important project in collaboration with the Packard Humanities Institute and the British School at Rome, which aims to protect and enhance the ancient city of Herculaneum. Pigeons represent a significant problem in built-up areas. These birds have adapted perfectly to town life, and thrive in urban environments. It is well-known that pigeons carry a large number of diseases. At Herculaneum, where they have nested mainly in quiet corners of the site, they cause numerous extremely serious conservation problems. The acid in their droppings seriously damages buildings and their ancient decorated walls and floors. The pigeons constantly peck at architraves and door and window frames made of carbonized wood. These are among the archaeological site s most extraordinary features, and are in danger of gradually disappearing. Gianclaudio Amalfitano and his associate Mario Ciuffi have already made successful flights with their falcons to drive pigeons away from the Santobono Hospital, the Cardarelli Hospital s heliport, and Naples s Città della Scienza museum complex. Now it is Herculaneum s turn; here the falcons, which can see pigeons from a distance of up to 4.5 km, will drive away the pests by flying around the site following a variety of routes. The falcons timetable and flight paths must be changed constantly, because pigeons become accustomed to the danger, hiding at flying times and 2

3 reappearing when the danger has passed. At Herculaneum, this operation will not be easy, and its effects will not be instant. This is a long-term project which will depend largely on the reaction of the pigeons. The aim is to frighten the birds so that they no longer return to the archaeological site. At the same time, the areas where they have nested will be cleaned, and all openings through which they might re-enter the ancient houses will be closed with nets. After a first year of intensive work, a maintenance programme of occasional flights will begin, to avoid new communities of pigeons settling here. The flight operation is dependent on the falcons delicate weight balance, and requires enormous care on the part of the falconer. If the falcon has not eaten enough and is very hungry, it may fail to obey the falconer s call quickly. (The falcons must under no circumstances eat the pigeons, since they carry infectious diseases). On the other hand, if the falcon has eaten too much, it may be uninterested in hunting, and the flight will thus be useless for our purposes. Training falcons is very time-consuming. The falconer must gain the bird s trust, and then train it to fly and respond to his calls. This creates an extremely close bond between the falconer and his falcon. The two exchange tender glances; the birds nibble the arm of their handler and give him loving looks, making soft cries. From Wednesday 19 January, the Herculaneum Conservation Project falconers will bring three falcons named Airon, Gari and Miura to Herculaneum every working day. The falcons will fly singly or in pairs, following a variety of different routes around the archaeological site. 3

4 T H E H E R C U L A N E U M C O N S E R V A T I O N P R O J E C T The Packard Humanities Institute : Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei : The British School at Rome I n t r o d u c t i o n The towns and villas buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD represent an absolutely unique archaeological heritage. However, they are particularly vulnerable to the conservation problems to which all such sites are subject. The unusual characteristics which make the small town of Herculaneum such a vivid picture of the past the survival of the upper storeys of houses, the extraordinary preservation of organic materials such as wood, fabric and papyrus make this site exceptionally difficult to preserve for future generations. The Herculaneum Conservation Project was devised in the summer of 2000, when Dr David W. Packard, President of the Packard Humanities Institute, visited Pompeii and Herculaneum accompanied by Prof. Andrew Wallace-Hadrill (the Packard Humanities Institute is an important charitable institution based at Los Altos, California). Dr Packard agreed with the Archaeological Superintendent of Pompeii, Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, that the Packard Humanities Institute and the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei should embark upon an important collaborative project to conserve the site of Herculaneum. The project officially began with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement in May It was later strengthened with the involvement of the British School at Rome under an innovative sponsorship agreement signed in July 2004, made possible by recent Italian cultural heritage legislation (in particular art. 120 of the D. Lgs. 42/2004, the new law covering Cultural Heritage and Landscapes, and art. 2 of the D. Lgs. 30/2004, governing public works contracts in the cultural heritage sector). The project has two main aims. The first, initial results of which are already visible, is to halt the widespread decay afflicting the entire archaeological site. Propping up buildings in danger of collapse, consolidating decorated walls and floors, weeding and driving away pigeons are an essential first step to ensure the survival of the delicate ancient remains. The first phase of this campaign of emergency works began in 2002, and the preventive conservation programme planned for the first half of 2005 will greatly reduce the main causes of decay throughout the archaeological site. The team of conservators-restorers is currently consolidating the frescoes and mosaics in the House of the Mosaic Atrium; they will shortly move on to other buildings in the site. 4

5 The second aim is to develop a conservation strategy which will ensure the survival and enhancement of the site in the long term. This ambitious goal requires a multidisciplinary collaborative effort involving various specialists: archaeologists, conservators, architects, draughtsmen and engineers. In the case study on a large sector of the town, the Insula Orientalis I, the project set high standards which would be difficult to achieve in a normal public works programme. A study of important archive documents has allowed us to clarify the choices made by excavators and restorers in the 1930s. A careful stratigraphic study of the buildings has shown that this group of houses changed constantly throughout antiquity; this is essential to help us understand that Herculaneum in 79 AD was not simply a unique monument, frozen in time forever, but something far more complex. The image of the past which we wish to preserve, and how best to preserve it, are issues which can only be determined by informed debate. Alongside its talented team of consultants, the project has benefited from the support of a Scientific Committee whose members include some of the greatest experts on archaeology and conservation in Italy and in the world, and the active involvement of Soprintendenza officials. After struggling at length with a desperate lack of financial support, they have welcomed this opportunity to experiment with a new strategy for conservation, supported by a mixture of public and private funding. Above all, the project is indebted to the Packard Humanities Institute for adopting Herculaneum, alongside a handful of other Mediterranean sites, and providing constant high-level support. 5

6 C O N T A C T D E T A I L S A N D L I N K S S o p r i n t e n d e n z a a r c h e o l o g i c a d i P o m p e i Press Office: Raffaella Leveque and Francesca de Lucia ; ; ufficiostampa@archeologicapompei.it ; delev@iol.it H e r c u l a n e u m C o n s e r v a t i o n P r o j e c t Packard Humanities Institute : Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei : British School at Rome On-site Activities: Off-site Activities: Arch. Jane Thompson Project Manager j.thompson@bsrome.it ; Dott. Sarah Court Scientific Coordinator sarahcourt@libero.it T h e P a c k a r d H u m a n i t i e s I n s t i t u t e T h e B r i t i s h S c h o o l a t R o m e 6