June 18 - Discovered and unearthed during the 1863 excavations, the casts of the bodies of men, women and children who died in Pompeii two thousand years ago, in 79 AD, following the eruption of the Vesuvius, are today the subject of a major restoration initiative. To create the 3D printings - applied in the restoration of Pompeii’s artistic and cultural heritage - the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia collaborated with Wasp. The first phase involves the Pla replication, in scale 1: 1, of ten casts. Currently, two Delta 40 70 are working in Pompeii; and Wasp also provided the necessary material for 3D printing and technical assistance. According to superintendent Massimo Osanna, "the casts are the most popular elements requested abroad". The problem is that they are too fragile to travel. This is where the copies come in, perfectly reproduced with 3D printing. The first prints will travel to Canada in a few months, after which they will be on display in museums and sites around the world, in a sort of traveling exhibition. "Pompeii is an example of how technology can be at the service of cultural heritage - commented Massimo Moretti - So far, Wasp wasn’t aware of the major contribution it could give in this direction. When we were interviewed by the restoration managers, we have responded promptly, with the pride of being an Italian company that participates and contributes with its 3D printers to this important work."

THE 1863 DISCOVERY

In 1863, during regular excavation procedures, some workers found themselves in a cavity at the bottom of which they saw traces of human bones. Archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli ordered that in the hole and in the neighboring ones, liquid plaster be poured. Once the casts were dry, he removed loose pumice and hardened ash, and the cavity revealed the bodies of those who died during the Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE. Casts technique consist therefore in filling the void left by the now dissolved bodies. The plaster, in solidifying, takes the form of the bodies. These casts, preserved in the Pompeii Antiquarium, are the most tragic evidence of the catastrophe that struck the city. Thanks to the technique invented by Fiorelli, it is possible to the expression on the bodies’ faces, the shape of their clothes, the positions in which they died, surprised by the fury of the volcano. Not only. The casts also tell us the story of daily life in Pompeii: the doors, windows, furniture and even plants and animals…