SHARE
COPY LINK
JOBTALK ITALY

ARCHAEOLOGY

‘Italy has no money for its heritage’

Sophie Hay, from the UK, landed a dream job in the 1990s when she was posted to Pompeii to work in the competitive world of archaeology. She speaks to The Local about life in the field and Italy's struggles to finance and maintain its ancient sites.

'Italy has no money for its heritage'
Sophie Hay is an archaeologist for the University of Southampton and is based at the British School at Rome. Photo: Sophie Hay

What inspired you to be an archaeologist?

My parents used to take us on holiday and get us to walk up and down hills looking for a column they’d read about. I liked the ruins and the sense of discovery.

The exact moment came when my parents brought me to Rome. We were walking around the forum and there was a woman working under an umbrella in the shade, with her wooden box and leather bag of kit. She was doing a detailed drawing and I looked at the scene and thought, “that’s what I want to do!”

How did you come to work in Italy?

I had finished my MA in Roman archaeology at the University of Reading and was recommended to work on the Pompeii Project, which was being run by the director of the British School at Rome. I arrived in 1997 to study the walls of Pompeii, to document the layers of change and see how much I could learn without making a mess with excavation.

It was fantastic. I was left to my own devices on site and it was pretty formidable as a first job.

What was life in Pompeii like?

One of the nicest things about being on site is getting to spend time in a place, unlike the tourists. You get to know locals and join in the local festivals.

Italians are very open to foreign people studying their culture; Pompeii alone has so many nationalities represented. I think they are very generous with their heritage and understand that they can’t do it all.

When I was working in Pompeii there were six earthquakes within a few months; I woke up one morning and my bed was travelling across the room!

My friends were divided over what to do if Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed ancient Pompeii, erupted. One group took the “we’re out of here” approach while another group said they would stay – I was with the first group!

Now you’re based in Rome, what do you do?

Since 2003 I’ve worked for the University of Southampton doing geophysics, but I’m based at the British School at Rome.

Geophysics means we use equipment to look under the ground without digging it up. It’s a lot cheaper than excavation and we get to cover huge areas of land; we get the big picture while not destroying anything along the way.

We’ve done entire cities like this, such as Falerii Novi in the north of Rome, where you can even see the column bases in the forum.

So archaeology’s not all about digging?

No, a lot of sites we work on never get dug. There are levels to archaeology; people who look at satellite images, then drones that fly over at a lower level. Then there’s us surveying the ground and the excavators that find the last detail.

What kind of projects do you work on in Rome?

Projects have been getting smaller and smaller because there’s less money; we’re doing more projects in shorter amounts of time.

Archaeology has changed hugely; there’s zero money for culture and heritage.

We get asked to do projects by the city council, who come to us but they don’t have the money. There comes a point when we just do it because we are in Rome and we are research-led – we don’t do anything for a profit.

Rome is one of the poorest city councils and we work hard at the British School to raise money and looking for sponsors.

Is it still possible for archaeologists to find work?

It’s hugely competitive. Archaeology definitely works on a 'who you know' basis, especially field archaeology. You’re not only judged on your academic credentials and your ability.

This is because you’re going to be working as part of a team that’s going to have to live together for long periods of time, so people want to amass a team that works.

With few funds and tough competition, what makes archaeology worth it?

The utter fortune of doing something that you really love. In archaeology, you really have to feel that passion. I do this five days a week or more – I’d rather have the happiness that comes with it than be an accountant and be miserable!  

Don't miss a story about Italy – Join us on Facebook and Twitter.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

DISCOVER ITALY

TRAVEL: How to visit the Pantheon in Rome

The Pantheon has introduced an entry fee for tourists for the first time this summer. Here's what to know about paying the historic site a visit.

TRAVEL: How to visit the Pantheon in Rome

If you’re planning to visit Rome’s Pantheon this summer, you’ll now need to purchase an entry ticket.

Since July 2023, visitors who aren’t resident in Rome have been subject to a €5 fee to be allowed access to the historic temple.

Here’s what you need to know to plan your visit.

Opening hours

The Pantheon is open almost every day of the year from 9am until 7pm, with last entry around half an hour before closing time (though the ticket office closes at 6pm).

Exceptions are August 15th (Italy’s Ferragosto holiday), Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Tickets

Tickets can be bought online in advance, or on site.

To purchase a ticket online, you’ll need to go Italy’s State Museums website, here, and create an account.

Once that’s done, you’ll be taken to the Pantheon’s ticket calendar, where you’ll able to choose a slot between 9am and 6pm and pay by card.

You’ll then receive a ticket via email with a QR code that you can use to access the monument.

READ ALSO: TRAVEL: How to visit the Colosseum in Rome

The official Pantheon website says that tickets can also be purchased in person for the same price at the entrance to the site, using cash or card.

While there’s usually a queue to get into the Pantheon, it tends to move relatively quickly as the space inside is not huge; most visitors tend to stay for around 20-30 minutes.

If you want to purchase a guided tour, this can be done online via the website. Tours range in duration from 25 to 45 minutes, and cost between €15 and €30.50.

Rome's Pantheon will introduce an entry fee from July.

Rome’s Pantheon will introduce an entry fee from July. Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP.

Who doesn’t have to pay/gets a discount?

Under-18s are excluded from the entry fee requirement, subject to ID checks, as are Rome residents.

In the absence of clarification from the culture ministry, it’s likely that access will be granted to residents via a MIC card – a €5 card that gives residents one year’s free entry to many of Rome’s museums and historic sites.

As the Pantheon has been a consecrated Catholic church since 609 AD, Masses are held there, and worshippers will not be charged entry – though the site is closed to tourists during religious services.

READ ALSO: TRAVEL: Nine tips for making the most of a Rome city break

Teachers, students enrolled in courses relevant to the Pantheon, and disabled people and their carers will also be exempt from paying – see the culture ministry’s guidelines (in Italian) for more detail.

Young people between 18 and 25 years of age will be able to enter for €3, subject to ID checks.

How to get there

The closest metro stop to the Pantheon is Barberini on Metro Lina A, about 700m away.

The Pantheon is right in the heart of Rome and a short stroll from other sights such as the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona.

Buses with routes that go along Via del Corso or the eastern side of the lungotevere, the roads flanking Rome’s River Tiber, will take visitors close to the site.

SHOW COMMENTS