Rediscovering Pompeii

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1 release dates: June (09) 2009 Universal Press Syndicate A Buried City Rediscovering Imagine yourself on a warm August day. What might you and your friends be doing? You could be: ITALY playing outside with pets Mt. Vesuvius ROME getting ready for school to start swimming at the pool helping with chores around the house On a regular day like this more than 1,900 years ago, citizens of a city in Italy were going about their business when a mountain about six miles away rumbled and then exploded. The Mini Page studied more about the city of, what life was like there, and Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that buried the city and many of its inhabitants on Aug. 24, A.D. 79*. Experts believe about 20,000 people lived in at the time of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Many of them were probably able to escape before being buried. in the first century If you had lived in in A.D. 79, your hometown would have been a busy, successful place. Crops grew well because of the rich volcanic soil around the Bay of Naples. Shopkeepers sold baked goods, fish cooked to order, and cloth for clothes. Wealthy people had grand houses with courtyards called peristyle gardens. They had slaves to cook their food and tend to their homes. Most buildings were two stories high. Temples, or large buildings where people worshipped, in honored different gods and goddesses, including Jupiter (god of sky and thunder) and Apollo (god of light and sun), and the Roman emperor Vespasian. probably didn t smell very good because people emptied their garbage and sewage into the gutters. Misenum Herculaneum BAY OF NAPLES Signs of trouble Living so close to Mount Vesuvius, citizens of were used to feeling earthquakes. In fact, in A.D. 62, a strong earthquake caused many buildings to fall down and streets to buckle. Builders, plumbers and slaves repaired much of the damage over the next 17 years. In the days before Aug. 24, people in felt small tremors,or vibrations. Hanging lamps swung. Water stopped flowing from the aqueduct, a pipe for moving water. Birds flew away from the area. *A.D. stands for anno Domini, which means the year of our Lord in Latin. When we use it with a year, it refers to the time after Jesus Christ was born. B.C. stands for before Christ. Some people say B.C.E. (before common era) and C.E. (common era) instead.

2 23-2 (09); release dates: June 6-12 The Volcano An eyewitness account Across the Bay of Naples from, a young man and his uncle lived in a city called Misenum (my- SEEN-um). The uncle, Pliny (PLIH-nee) the Elder, was a scholar of all the sciences, including weather, astronomy and geology. When Mount Vesuvius exploded, a large, dark cloud rose up from it. Pliny the Elder saw the cloud and wanted to get a closer look. He ordered his servants to prepare a boat and began sailing across the bay. Pliny the Younger stayed behind to finish his homework. His good study habits probably saved his life! His uncle died from breathing the poisonous vapors, or odors, that the volcano released. Pliny the Younger Pliny the Younger wrote letters to Tacitus (TAS-ih-tus), a historian, about what he saw so that his uncle would never be forgotten. Pliny the Younger s words to Tacitus Here are some of Pliny the Younger s observations, or comments, about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius: The cloud was rising from a mountain at such a distance we couldn t tell which, but afterwards learned that it was Vesuvius. I can best describe its shape by likening it to a pine tree. It rose into the sky on a very long trunk from which spread some branches. Ash was falling onto the ships now, darker and denser the closer they went. Now it was bits of pumice, and rocks that were blackened and burned and shattered by the fire. (B)road sheets of flame were lighting up many parts of Vesuvius. (T)here was danger from the rocks that were coming down, light and fire-consumed as these bits of pumice were. (People) tied pillows on top of their heads as Pliny the Younger compared the cloud of smoke to umbrella pines like these seen on a busy street in Rome. protection against the shower of rock. It was daylight now elsewhere in the world, but there the darkness was darker and thicker than any night. Then came a smell of sulfur, announcing the flames, and the flames themselves. Supported by two small slaves he (Pliny the Elder) stood up, and immediately collapsed. As I understand it, his breathing was obstructed by the dustladen air, and his innards simply shut down. (H)is body was found untouched, unharmed, in the clothing that he had had on. photo by Adrian Pingstone Spy... Mini Spy and Alpha Betty are hiking in a volcanic park. See if you can find: man in the moon question mark dolphin arrow bird pencil mushroom number 6 letter A lady s face bat bell number 3 lima bean snail fish exclamation point ruler Basset Brown The News Hound s TRY N FIND Words that remind us of are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: ITALY, AUGUST, VESUVIUS, POMPEII, PERISTYLE, CAST, EARTHQUAKE, AQUEDUCT, VOLCANO, MISENUM, PLINY, VAPOR, TACITUS, BEACH, EXCAVATE, POISONOUS, ARCHAEOLOGIST, FIORELLI, ASH. P L I N Y E K A U Q H T R A E POMPEII IS A E B V O L C A N O G X K C M X WINDOW INTO THE PAST! R H W Q A F I O R E L L I I C I C A S T S U G U A V J B S A S T A C I T U S U I V U S E V T C U D E U Q A H C A E B N A Y I I E P M O P R O P A V U T L P O I S O N O U S L S J M E E W T S I G O L O E A H C R A

3 Go dot to dot and color (09); release dates: June 6-12 Rookie Cookie s Recipe Easy Summer Salad You ll need: 1 package prewashed romaine lettuce 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 avocado, sliced 1/4 cup reduced-fat feta cheese 1/4 cup dried cranberries 2 tablespoons honey-roasted sliced almonds salad dressing of choice What to do: 1. Place torn romaine lettuce in a large salad bowl. 2. Add other ingredients in the order listed, with almonds on top. 3. Pour on desired amount of salad dressing; gently toss and serve. You will need an adult s help with this recipe. photo by Bob D Amico, courtesy Disney Channel Meet Demi Lovato Demi Lovato stars as Princess Rosalinda in the Disney Channel movie Princess Protection Program on June 26. She also sings in this movie. Demi also stars as Allison in the TV series Sonny With a Chance. She has acted in several TV series, including As the Bell Rings and Just Jordan. She appeared in the TV movie Camp Rock and sang on its soundtrack. She also made a solo album. She and her friends, the Jonas Brothers, wrote many of the songs for that album. Demi, 16, was born in Dallas, Texas. She has two sisters and now lives with her family in Los Angeles. She has studied the guitar, piano, songwriting and hip-hop dance. She began acting as Angela in Barney and Friends when she was 9. She has appeared in several TV commercials. NEW! The Mini Page Book of States The Mini Page s popular series of issues about each state is collected here in a 156-page softcover book. Conveniently spiral-bound for ease of use, this invaluable resource contains A-to-Z facts about each state, along with the District of Columbia. Illustrated with colorful photographs and art, and complete with updated information, The Mini Page Book of States will be a favorite in classrooms and homes for years to come. To order, send $15.99 ($19.99 Canada) plus $5 postage and handling for each copy. Make check or money order (U.S. funds only) payable to Universal Press Syndicate. Send to The Mini Page Book of States, Universal Press Syndicate, P.O. Box 6814, Leawood, KS Or call toll-free or go to Please send copies of The Mini Page Book of States (Item # ) at $20.99 each, total cost. (Bulk discount information available upon request.) Name: Address: City: State: Zip: All the following jokes have something in common. Can you guess the common theme or category? Vic: What did the honeymooning couple say to each other as they were standing near an active volcano? Veronica: I lava you! Vene: What is the opposite of a volcano? Vern: A volca-yes! Volana: What would be a good name for a new volcano? Vera: Ashley!

4 23-4 (09); release dates: June 6-12 Forgotten cities In and nearby cities, ash and rocks rained down from Mount Vesuvius. was buried in about 20 feet of the debris, or rubble. The city of Herculaneum, between and Naples, was completely buried. In fact, years later people had forgotten that Herculaneum had ever existed. A bigger beach Some homes in A.D. 79 were built right on the beach. The soil and ash from Vesuvius pushed the coastline out by many feet. Digging for valuables Experts think about 20,000 people lived in at the time of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Only about 2,000 bodies were found when scientists began excavating (EX-ca-vay-ting), or digging, in the area. Survivors of the volcano probably returned fairly soon to. Upper stories of buildings could be seen above the ash. People tried to dig for valuables buried in their homes or businesses. When they dug deep, they may have released poisonous odors like those that killed Pliny the Elder. These vapors probably killed some of the survivors. Uncovering Buried treasure Much later, during the 1600s and 1700s, people digging wells for water in the area discovered parts of sculptures, slabs of marble and other items buried in the soil. When others found out about the buried treasures, they began digging and taking whatever they could find. But no one kept records of what was found or where the ruins were. A scientist steps in In 1860, the king of Italy turned over the excavation of to an archaeologist named Giuseppe Fiorelli. (Archaeologists study the habits and ways of ancient people through the things they leave behind.) Fiorelli insisted on carefully removing items and cataloging, or listing, each one and where it was found. At the library: Vacation Under the Volcano, a Magic Treehouse book, by Mary Pope Osborne, and Ancient Rome and, a nonfiction companion book to Vacation Under the Volcano : The Day a City Was Buried by Melanie and Christopher Rice by Richard Platt A city preserved The ash that fell from Mount Vesuvius hardened, something like cement, after many years. As the bodies of people and animals decayed, the hardened ash around them kept its shape. It was lightweight enough that it didn t crush the remains. Fiorelli discovered he could pour plaster into the cavity, or opening, where the person s skin and clothing used to be. This way he could create a detailed model of how the person looked when he or she died. today Excavations of continue today. Scientists are trying to find out about life in even before the famous eruption of A.D. 79. They can learn a lot about how cities grow by continuing this work. The Mini Page thanks Carol Mattusch, guest curator of the exhibition and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around the Bay of Naples (at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art through Oct. 4) and professor of art history at George Mason University, for help with this issue. Next week, The Mini Page is about famous fathers. The Mini Page Staff Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist This plaster cast of a man and a vase he was probably carrying was made in the 1800s. The casts were detailed enough to show facial expressions and clothing details. photo courtesy Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, D.C.

5 Read all about photo courtesy Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, D.C. in Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate by Betty Debnam Appearing in your newspaper on. from The Mini Page 2009 Universal Press Syndicate (Note to Editor: Above is cameraready, one column-by-3 1 /2-inch ad promoting Issue 23.) release dates: June (09) Standards Spotlight: Rediscovering Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each week we identify standards that relate to The Mini Page s content and offer activities that will help your students reach them. This week s standards: Students understand changes in the Earth and sky. (Science: Earth Sciences) Students understand the physical and human characteristics of places. (Geography: Places and Regions) Activities: 1. Draw a dramatic picture of a volcano erupting. Show people running away from it. 2. Create an album of our civilization. Cut out newspaper photos of everyday items that show what people use in their homes, at work and for fun and paste them in three different sections of a notebook. 3. Suppose you had to help rebuild your town after it was destroyed. Look through the newspaper for tools and equipment that would help you rebuild. Make a list of the items on a piece of paper. 4. How were each of these important to : (a) aqueduct, (b) volcanic soil, (c) archaeologists, and (d) temples? 5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about a volcano in this country. Use these questions to guide your research: Where is the volcano? How large is it? When has it erupted? What is the land like around the volcano? Write a paragraph discussing what you have found in your research. (standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi) Supersport: Matthew Stafford Height: 6-3 Birthdate: Weight: 228 Grew Up: Dallas, Texas The Detroit Lions desperately need somebody to lead a football resurgence in the Motor City. They believe Matthew Stafford can be that man. In the 2009 NFL draft in April, the Lions who went winless in 16 games last fall had the first overall pick and chose the former University of Georgia All-America quarterback. Stafford had another year of eligibility at Georgia, but chose to forgo his senior season to get an early start in the NFL. But the 21-year-old speech communications major left a lasting mark on the Bulldogs powerhouse program. As a junior last season, he completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 3,459 yards and set a single-season school record with 25 touchdown tosses. In three years he threw for 7,731 yards, with a 57.2 career completion rate, and 51 scores. Stafford also was voted Most Valuable Player in the 2009 Capital One Bowl game, leading Georgia to a victory over the Michigan State Spartans and helping the Dawgs cap a 10-3 season. Attacking NFL defenses is a bigger challenge. But Detroit coaches believe Stafford has the talent, touch and toughness to help make the Lions roar again. (Note to Editor: Above is the Standards for Issue 23.) (Note to Editor: Above is copy block for Page 3, Issue 23, to be used in place of ad if desired.)