Poseidonia city of water. Archeology and climate change
Edited by: G. Zuchtriegel, P. Carter, M. E. Oddo
Paestum:Pandemos
Pages: 367
Year: 2019
ISBN: 978-88-87744-89-7
Poseidon is a difficult god. Bearer of great gifts, he can also be very vindictive towards those who offend him. The same is true for the element he dominates: the sea. The sea is a precious resource and a source of wealth, but also a dangerous and destructive force. Today we feel compelled to remember that, in regard to sea pollution and climate change. Paestum – or Poseidonia, as the Greeks called it – is among the 42 UNESCO sites on the Mediterranean which, according to a recent study, could end up under water due to sea level rise caused by global warming. Exploring history backwards, we realise that the struggle of man with water – but also its exploitation and its charm – have their roots in a distant past. The exhibition traces the relationship between the city and the water over the centuries. Through reclamations, aqueducts, floods, swamps, harbours, fishermen and pirates, it tries to give an answer to a very simple question: why did this city was given the name of the god of water and was called Poseidonia?
