L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano Mighetto's projects. Growing within the ancient garden site of the House of Pansa, var- ied species of vegetables, o r n a m e n t a l p l a n t s , f r u i t trees, and grains are being cultivated using ancient tech- niques. Many of Cutuli's dyes were sourced here, and goals include planting the nurs- ery's offspring throughout the Park. Guests can now visit the garden, including introductions to accurate reproductions of pots, bind- ings, and original methods once again practiced here. T h e y m i g h t e v e n c a t c h a glimpse of the sheep brought in for sustainable mainte- nance of open green space throughout Pompeii. Surviving frescoes that tell the stories of daily life in Pompeii, along with a few surviving written documents and an abundance of recov- e r e d r e m a i n s , h a v e g i v e n experimental archaeologists a vast array of forensics for piecing together the lives of ancient Pompeiians. Experts such as culinary archaeolo- gist Farrell Monaco have performed vast research at Pompeii, uncovering an array o f k n o w l e d g e r e g a r d i n g a n c i e n t R o m a n f o o d a n d preparation methods. Her extensive research on 81 typi- cal round loaves of bread excavated from the Bakery of Modestus has resulted in a recreation of the recipe, as information for purchase is not yet available, 50% of pro- ceeds will go towards preser- vation in Pompeii. Cutuli's involvement is one example of private enti- t i e s p a r t n e r i n g w i t h t h e expansive Azienda Agrico- la Pompeii, a project that supports resurrecting agri- cultural green spaces within the archeological site. A col- lection of gardens, vineyards, crops, and orchards through- out the archaeological park support cultivation as it was in ancient Pompeii. Olive oil and even wine, along with grain-based products, are set to be produced or are being p r o d u c e d , a s w e l l , u s i n g ancient practices. No longer r e p r o d u c t i o n s v i e w e d through museum glass, arti- sanal and agricultural Pom- peii is coming to life once again thanks to these pro- jects. Paolo Mighetto, agricul- tural architect, is passionate about these goals. As experi- mental vineyards hosting ancient varietals mature, Mighetto states that plans include production from har- vest to bottling and aging all within the confines of the Park. "Our goal is to reacti- vate a territory that was one of the most fertile in ancient times, and still is," Mighetto states. The Plant Nursery of P o m p e i i i s a n o t h e r o f well as prefaced plans for hands-on opportunities with- in Pompeii. Sally Grainger, another esteemed food histo- r i a n a n d e x p e r i m e n t a l archaeologist, has brought enlightenment through her studies of Pompeii that diets were much more varied than previously believed, even though it's true that furry lit- tle dormice and lark's tongue really were considered delica- cies. If you feel the need for an authentic recipe for either of those, or perhaps more mundane ancient Pompeiian dishes, Grainger's Cooking Apicius – Roman Recipes for Today contains 64 recipes translated from a book by Marcus Gavius Apicius, a 1st century A.D. Roman chef. Bringing Pompeii to life through the ordinary is a premise that seems to gain g r o u n d e a c h y e a r u n d e r Zuchtrigel's leadership. Addi- tional collaborations with universities, private individu- a l s , a n d b u s i n e s s e s a r e underway partnering on pro- jects researching and reviv- ing metalworking, furniture construction, and pottery making. Marveling at the splendor of Pompeii's mas- sive villas and unimaginable w e a l t h i s a f a n t a s t i c a n d important experience, but it's understanding the day-to- day workings that reawaken the human element of this lost ancient culture. p e r f e c t f i t f o r r e c r e a t i n g woven attire, specifically scarves, aligned with Pom- p e i i ' s a r t i s a n a l h e r i t a g e . Using available knowledge on what plant products pro- vided dyes in ancient Pom- peii, Cutuli found that not m u c h h a d c h a n g e d . R i c h black and grey from elder- berries, brown from walnut husks, Pompeii's famous red from the root of the common madder plant, shades of yel- l o w a n d g r e e n f r o m c a r - d a m o m , r o s e h i p f o r t h e desirable soft pink – all used in Cutuli's creations today and by Pompeii's artisans then. Frescoes from the recently reopened and lavish House of Vetti within Pompeii pro- vided Cutuli with his design inspiration and spurred Park d i r e c t o r G a b r i e l Zuchtriegel towards devel- oping projects such as this. Images of floating cupids d y i n g c l o t h , m a k i n g p e r - fumes, carding yarn, and harvesting grapes for wine reflect the everyday – exactly what Zuchtriegel wants to highlight and preserve. Two of Cutuli's three scarf designs depict these scenes, as well as reflect the colors used in the frescoes. Each scarf is handmade from nettle yarn woven on an ancient loom, t h e n d y e d u s i n g p l a n t - derived colors applied with ancient techniques. While V o l c a n i c a s h r a i n e d d o w n , f o l l o w e d b y a f i e r y f l o o d o f pyroclastic rock and toxic gas; the noonday w a s c a s t i n t o d a r k n e s s . Where only moments before a normal August afternoon had been underway, now lay mayhem and devastation. The opulent villas, common- ers' homes and shops, bak- eries, artisan laboratories, food vendors' stalls …all were buried under a suffocating layer of volcanic hell along with the citizens who occu- pied them. Forgotten until its redis- c o v e r y 1 , 7 0 0 y e a r s l a t e r , Pompeii is now the world's most recognized and visited archeological site. The exca- vated remains are a laborato- ry of poignantly preserved insight into every stratum of ancient Roman life as it was when halted on that horrific day in 79 A.D. Unlike many other archaeological sites, life in Pompeii was vibrant upon its demise rather than buried remains of a civilization lost to time. Excavations both p a s t a n d o n g o i n g o f f e r a unique look at the everyday lives and routines of these ancient Romans, from slaves to the élite. What better way to know an ancient society than to understand the work- a-day activities that kept it going? Thanks to current manage- ment within the Pompeii Archeological Park, inter- est in learning about and pre- serving ancient methods of artisanal production is taking a front seat. The vast discov- eries of relics preserved in a snapshot of time, coupled with advanced research tech- n o l o g y h a v e p r o v i d e d t h e ability to not only identify artifacts, food remains, and equipment but to also analyze their composition and practi- cal uses. One such project features the collaboration of Claudio Cutuli of Intrecci Creativi with the Pompeii Archeo- logical Park. A master dyer who embraces the use of nat- ural products and traditional techniques, Cutuli was the PAULA REYNOLDS To Dye For: rediscovering Pompeii's ancient art of textile dying and artisan methods Ancient artifacts from Pompeii (Photo: Jean-Jacques Serol/Dreamstime) and, bottom left, a fresco showing Pompeians' colorful clothing (Photo: Alexirina27000/Dreamstime) HERITAGE HISTORY IDENTITY TRADITIONS PEOPLE

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