Eric Colton Valdez
Professor Sanders
ANTH 102
March 6, 2015
Research Design Part 1: Pompeii One of the most important things about Pompeii was its unique location. The people of Pompeii made themselves and their city a huge trading power in the Mediterranean. Without being located near a river, mountains and a volcano its preservation may have not happened which would leave us without any knowledge about this magnificent culture. Pompeii had a huge advantage compared to other civilizations during that time period all because of its location. Being next to a river, one of the most efficient ways of transportation at the time, it made trading and transporting goods that much easier leaving the land around it marshy due to flooding of the river. As for growing crops Pompeii was blessed with fertile soil and a good temperature climate. Due to the fact that there are not many research projects that have taken place in Pompeii looking at the food usage and vegetation, a team of archaeologists have been excavating a whole city block for the past 12 years. Many of the things they found were carbonized and calcium phosphate in replace of the material they once called food. Archaeologists suggest that these phosphates were once figs, grapes, olives, local fish and bread. Although a huge variety of food was not found within the city itself, researchers think the crop growing took place outside the city walls. Herders were huge fans of sheep due to their multi-purposeful use of meat, milk and wool (very expensive and important tool). When talking about the culture of Pompeii before the eruption, researchers suggest that from studying the architecture you can easily tell that there was a melting pot of different cultures living in the city together. It was a key location to have due to the river, they were able to receive and trade most of the goods they wanted when they wanted which attracted many of the wealthiest people. After excavations took place archaeologists found out that although these people lived in the first century they were very civilized. They had spectacular surgical tools that some doctors are still seen