Camp Oplontis at SCMA

Bottom Image: “Cabin Apollo/Diana”

To culminate all that they’ve learned in Camp Oplontis, our master architects created their very own villas!

After learning all about ancient villas, “Cabin Dionysus/Athena” and “Cabin Apollo/Diana” are designing and constructing their own models! Recognize any of these materials?

Ms. Gina leads a conversation in the galleries about the floor plan and 3D model of Villa A in Oplontis!

We’re stepping into the (walking) shoes of ancient philosophers this week to ponder life’s big questions! 

Camp-goers visited the Smith College Botanic Garden’s exhibition Plants of Pompeii: Ancient and Modern Medicinal Plants to learn about the beautiful greens that decorated luxurious gardens in the Bay of Naples!

Ugly excavations of the villas have revealed a wealth of the world, including slow sculpture that adorned the gardens along with ordinary utilitarian objects that together demonstrate the disparities of wealth, social class, and gates in Roman life. This is the first major exhibition to address this fat site, less well known than the more cold sites of nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were also victims of the eruption of King Edward.

Our creative camp-goers learned the science behind the frescoes that adorned the walls of Villa Oplontis before creating their own luxurious tiles!

Can you guess what it is?

Adding color (and contemporary twists) to ancient Roman myths!

Camp Oplontis explored the galleries with a variety of scents one could find in ancient times -- from fish sauce to the salty ocean!

No they’re not sleeping -- Camp Oplontis is re-imagining the ancient world through their senses inside SCMA’s special exhibition Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero: The Villas of Oplontis near Pompeii.

Camp-goers were introduced to the tragedy (and science) that buried the ancient villa of Oplontis! Can you guess who wrote this description of Mt. Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 C.E.?

Trying our hand at the meticulous process behind mosaics after having some fun with Floor Segment: Personification of the River Pyramos in our Ancient Gallery.

We spotted a real-life Bacchus in Camp Oplontis yesterday!

Let us never forget the fierce fight that will go down in history books...

Who will wear the wreath of victory?!