Pompeii: "Different Heritage" — conference on multidisciplinary

Pompeii: "Different Heritage" — archaeology at the intersection of science and heritage

From 24 to 26 March 2026 the Auditorium of the Pompeii Archaeological Park hosts Different Heritage, an international conference focused on multidisciplinary approaches in archaeology. The event marks thirty years of the Park's Applied Research Laboratory and encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration to achieve more comprehensive interpretations of excavation contexts.

• Goals: bring together hard sciences and studies of organic remains and intangible cultural practices.
• Main topics: archaeozoology, diagnostics, geology, archaeobotany, anthropology and the role of intangible heritage.
• Speakers: specialists from international institutions (including MIT and CNR) and European universities, together with Park researchers.

Notable participants include the Park Director Gabriel Zuchtriegel and researchers such as Valeria Amoretti, Raffaele Martinelli, Chiara Comegna and Younes Naime. The programme also features a screening of Clive Oppenheimer's documentary "VOLCANO VOICES: From Ashes to Archives and Art", reflecting on human relationships with volcanic events.

For those unable to attend in person: the entire conference will be streamed live on the Park's official YouTube channel. On-site attendance is free but requires mandatory registration by email at [email protected].

The conference highlights the importance of "small matter" — bones, shell fragments, volcanic sediments and micro-residues — which, analyzed with updated techniques, offer detailed insights into diet, daily practices and social connections of Pompeii's former inhabitants. The multidisciplinary approach promotes methodological renewal and considers scientific doubt a necessary driver of discovery.