Walked through the Pompeii excavation last month and something felt off about those plaster casts

I get they're preserving the victims, but standing there looking at those hollowed-out forms made me wonder if we're turning tragedy into a tourist sideshow instead of letting the real history speak for itself has anyone else felt weird about that site?

2 comments

2 Comments

david_stone24d ago

Did they at least sell you a tiny plaster cast keychain in the gift shop on the way out? I swear that place is one step away from having a dunk tank labeled "Guess the victim's last thought." It's like they couldn't decide between a museum and a haunted house, so they just went with both. I half expected a gift shop employee to pop out and say "That'll be 15 euros for the privilege of feeling sad, please.

wesleypatel24d ago

Wait, they didn't have a "Pompeii selfie booth" where you can pretend to be a charcoal victim for 5 euros? That place sounds like a circus with a side of existential dread. Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't sell "ash-flavored" popcorn at the snack bar.