Martin Bailey reports in The Art Newspaper that Unesco has warned Italy that Pompeii will be placed on its “World Heritage in Danger” list unless immediate action is taken to halt degradation and preserve the site. Photo shows how water has damaged wall paintings on a typical Roman house, where the lararium (house shrine) has become detached and threatens collapse. Color has faded elsewhere. A damning report offers evidence of damage to the site, especially its frescoes and mosaics, and warns how if current actions “fail to deliver substantial progress in the next two years, then an ‘In-Danger’ listing would be inevitable.” Lizzy Davies reports that Italy has asked German archaeologists for assistance after Unesco pressure.
Update (9/20/13): Tina Lepri reports that an anti-mafia squad is now investigating Pompeii as part of an effort to weed out organized crime from the archaeological site.