New Museum of Science And Industry Exhibition Retells History of Famous Volcanic Eruption in Rome

Almost two thousand years ago, the Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed by a volcano. A new exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry explores part of the archaeological record only discovered 250 years ago.

Aphrodite, the ancient Greek Goddess and Mother of Cupid, is first to greet you as you enter Pompeii: The Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry.

The Greek goddess is one of 150 artifacts on loan from the Naples National Archeological Museum to help tell the fateful story of Pompeii, the Roman city destroyed by a volcano almost 2,000 years ago.

The new exhibition explores part of the archaeological record only discovered 250 years ago.

“This will tell the story of the way that these people in Pompeii lived, worked, how they worshiped, how they entertained themselves and how, unfortunately, they met their untimely fate,” said exhibition curator Voula Siridakis.

Almost 2,000 full-body casts were recovered from the rubble. The exhibition features several replicas, including a dog cast.

These people fell exactly where they were standing, Spiridakis said.  

“It got difficult for them to breath,” she said. “They would cover their mouths with cloth or something. It’s just a very powerful statement of how these people perished.”

Pompeii: The Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry runs through Sept. 4.