One of the main ways we understand a culture's sexuality is by looking at their artistic expressions: writing, painting, sculpture, etc. Unfortunately, because of anti-sex "moralists" who pop up throughout history, much of the erotic art of the past has been destroyed. 

Pompeii is a unique window into erotic art, and the sexuality, of a culture. Preserved under ash and undisturbed for 1500 years, it froze an entire city in a moment in time.

When excavators first started digging, they thought they had found a brothel because of the erotic art in the building. Then they found another "brothel", and another, and another. The reality was that erotic art was in the homes of many citizens, and that it had a unique meaning to them. They did not separate sexuality out into a small compartment of their lives as is so common today.

There is a wealth of art from Pompeii, but much of it was not well preserved or taken care of. Fortunately, though, most of it was not destroyed as has been the case on so many excavations when "offensive" erotic art turned up. 

With today's computer technology, it is possible to digitally restore this art and see what it would have looked like to the citizens of Pompeii. The Pompeii Project is designed to bring together talented digital artists and restorers to work with existing Pompeii erotic images, restoring them to their original glory, and placing them within a 3D virtual representation that shows them in context within the homes and businesses of Pompeii.

To participate, write to pompeii@eroticuniversity.com