The Campania region and the trade routes between the Roman Empire and the East through Egypt. This was the main theme of the conference held by Professor Jean-Pierre Brun on Monday 20th June at 5pm in the Auditorium of the Excavations in Pompeii. This opened the series of discussions named ‘Mediterranean Sea’, promoted by the Superintendency of Pompeii and Electa, which were held in the archaeological area in September. The conference focused on the extraordinary riches of Egypt, a country strategically located on the trade routes between the Roman Empire and the East, one of great charm due to its culture, and an extremely important country for the development of the Campania area.
This first meeting was a sort of ideal bridge, as well as an opportunity to learn something more, between the exhibition ‘Egypt in Pompeii’, held until 2nd November in the Large Palaestra in Pompeii, and the opening of a new room at the MANN museum in Naples on 29th June dedicated to ‘Egypt- Naples. From the East’. (download pdf press folder)

The two exhibitions were the result of cooperation between the Superintendency of Pompeii, the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and the Egyptian Museum of Turin, joining in the scientific project ‘Egypt in Pompeii’. The goal is to talk about the spiritual, social, artistic and political influences and innovations, born in or passed through the Nile valley and then brought to the Campania region. Pompeii had certainly been at the heart of these exchanges, ever since the late 2nd century B.C.
The exhibition organised at the Excavation site and curated by Massimo Osanna and Marco Fabbri with Simon Connor aimed to talk exactly about those topics. Here, the Egypt of the great Pharaohs and of the terrible Sekhmet gods was put together with the Aegyptiaca, and accompanied by a video made by Studio Azzurro. At the MANN museum in Naples, on the other hand, the cult of Isis and the other eastern religions that had contact with the Roman world were described. The link between these two sides are Pompeii and the Mediterranean Sea, a vantage point allowing us to get to know the past while also thinking about the present and recent dramatic events.

All this and much more was discussed with Professor Jean-Pierre Brun, in a journey to the past at the time of ancient Egypt and to one of the most fascinating and visited archaeological areas, part of a world heritage capable of developing modern thinking based on reflection about the past.

Biography
Born in Provence in 1955, Jean-Pierre Brun is an archaeologist and teacher of Techniques and Economies in the Ancient Mediterranean at the Collège de France. He has published many scientific and educational books, essays and articles.

Electa Press Office
Gabriella Gatto
Telephone Number: +39 06 47 497 462
press.electamusei@mondadori.it

Valentina Masilli
Telephone Number: +39 06 47 497 402
valentina.masilli@consulenti.mondadori.it