GoKawiilAncient Graffiti Welcome to The Ancient Graffiti Project, a digital resource for locating and studying handwritten inscriptions of the early Roman empire. These ancient messages and sketches offer a window into the daily life and interests of the people who lived in the ancient world, especially in Herculaneum and Pompeii. They provide perspectives on Roman society, the ancient economy, religion, spoken language, literacy, and activities within the ancient city.
(N.B. The word "graffiti" was originally a technical term for ancient handwritten wall-inscriptions that were scratched into wall plaster. The term later came to mean any writing on a wall.)
Welcome The aim of AGP is to allow scholars and the public to explore ancient handwritten wall-inscriptions and to understand them in context. We have designed AGP to be a user-friendly resource. We provide maps to help viewers understand where graffiti appeared in the ancient city and we offer our own translations and brief summaries of the graffiti. Try out the maps above, browse around, or begin a search . We hope you enjoy exploring the Ancient Graffiti Project and learning more about the ancient world!