Friends of Herculaneum Society

Role and Interests

The Society's registered aims as a charity are:

• To advance to education of the public concerning the World Heritage Site of Herculaneum
• To promote research into Herculaneum
• To promote the conservation of the artefacts and buildings at Herculaneum.

The Society's members are particularly interested in the Villa of the Papyri and in the possibility of finding a hitherto unknown library or libraries in the unexcavated parts of that structure. More than 1800 Herculaneum papyri were discovered in Herculaneum in the 18th century, and it is hoped that many more may yet be discovered, including a Latin library containing hitherto lost classics.

Members of the Society come from all walks of life. Its membership is not exclusive to scholars as it includes all those interested in Herculaneum, the Villa of the Papyri, other Vesuvian sites and Ancient Rome in general.

• Every two years the Society organises a Congress at Herculaneum for its members incorporating talks by experts and visits to the ruins at Herculaneum and related sites
• The Society organises other meetings with talks and tours for members and non-members in Oxford and other locations in the UK (and 2009 in Paris)
• The Society offers financial support to students and scholars working on topics related to Herculaneum. For a list of past holders see here Archived 2018-11-12 at the Wayback Machine.
• The Society raises funds in support of work at Herculaneum. For the 2018 campaign in support of the Ancient Graffiti Project see here.
• The Society runs biennial competitions for schools
• An American Friends of Herculaneum Society has been established in New York City. See: http://herculaneumfriends.org