Voices from the Ashes: The Charcoal Graffiti of Pompeii

FAIN: FT-285848-22

Jacqueline Frost DiBiasie-Sammons
University of Mississippi (University, MS 38677-1848)

Research and writing leading to a book on charcoal graffiti and written messages on Pompeii's walls (ca. 79 AD).

This project analyzes the charcoal graffiti that could once be found on the walls of ancient Pompeii. These handwritten messages provide us with valuable insights into life in the first century C.E., especially for groups often excluded from the literary record like women and slaves, but because of their delicate medium, few remain extant today. For this and other reasons, they have been almost totally ignored in scholarship. I will travel to Pompeii to study the precious few graffiti that remain in situ using traditional techniques as well as innovative computational photography methods. Following this research on site, I will produce an article that examines the distribution, types, and visual impact of charcoal graffiti. In addition to enriching our understanding of this long-neglected type of ancient inscription, this project provides insights into the social fabric of ancient Pompeii and the desire to write graffiti – an impetus that continues today.