The Italian government has declared a year-long state of emergency for the ancient city of Pompeii, and
University of Cincinnati archaeologist Steven J.R. Ellis is helping to save it by directing a research project at Porta Stabia, one of Pompeii's ancient gates.
Part of
UNESCO's World Heritage list, ruins of the buried city continue to deteriorate in the weather, fall victim to vandals, and crumble under the weight of government mismanagement and lack of funding.
One of many suggestions for improving maintenance include turning Pompeii into a tourist site, perhaps with corporate sponsorship.
"The concern is that private investment will swing interests into making money at Pompeii rather than its cultural upkeep and the assurance that funds are given over to conservation," Dr. Ellis tells the New York Times.
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