Graffiti is one of many characteristics that cities, towns, and undeveloped areas have in common throughout the world.

We see it covering buildings, bridges, trains, cars and on numerous other surfaces. Graffiti was once an acceptable form of communication in ancient times; although today much of society views it as a negative action. The word graffiti (Random House Dictionary) comes from the Italian word graffito meaning incised inscription or design; or from the word graffiare meaning to scratch. In ancient times graffiti was scratched into the surface or charcoal was used to produce images or words. Scratching and using charcoal is not the only way to create graffiti. Using ink, paint, and numerous other tools such as chisels, paintbrushes and airbrushes, people can create markings on different surfaces today. By using such tools and techniques researches today can identify location and period of when markings were created. The vast majority of ancient graffiti that has been discovered is found in major metropolitan areas. Countries around the Mediterranean Sea such as Italy, Egypt, Israel and Syria and many places in between, have many examples of ancient graffiti on public surfaces like buildings and bridges. Graffiti also is found in sanctuaries and caves for rituals. These places are far away from populated areas. Sometimes graffiti is created not to be seen at all. Graffiti is inscripted on pots
Graffiti in Pompeii

and

jars which is then buried with the dead. With thorough examination of archaeological sites and objects, researchers and archeologist are still trying to understand the broad
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reasoning of why graffiti is used and how it played a part in shaping societies both ancient and modern. Modern graffiti is found everywhere throughout the world. Various ethnic groups have their own styles and subject matter that is continuously seen in similar regions of a country or city. (Baird 2) Graffiti during the Greeks and Romans was viewed very differently than it is today. Modern society believes that graffiti is an illegal and a form of vandalism to both private and public surfaces and should be punishable by law. The Romans used graffiti to show that they agree or disagree with the politics of the time. The Roman military was once associated with graffiti in Dura, a small town in the West Bank, because they had authority over the city. In Athens, Greece symbols on stalls were used in the marketplace to ward off magic. (Baird 3-4) One common characteristic that ancient and modern graffiti have is that texts and images appear in abnormal places. Graffiti is categorized in a different group than writing on a piece of paper or parchment because of its informality. It does not fit neatly in within the boundaries that are laid down by scholars to teach people how to communicate to each other. Today, writing is connected to talking in a certain language by communicating. Where graffiti is more visual and material. There has been an emphasis on writing enhancing speech communication, rather than the use of visual and material form of communication. Current society views reading and writing more important than communication with visual symbols. It is viewed as advancing intellectually, even though in ancient times both the wealthy; poor, and the educated and not so educated could understand graffiti, because of reading communities.
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While the wealthy could include graffiti in their homes, the lower class people could still participate in creating it through religious practices to political ranking in society. Slaves and children created their own graffiti, but not to the extent of professional quality of those who had access to tools and could learn better techniques. There was a difference between graffiti of the elite and that of pop culture. The pop culture group created drawings to critique existing political powers. Graffiti is more about an event happening with a certain markable surface, to drawing an image or text for a particular audience. That event then makes graffiti as a whole entity an object not solely an event. Sort of like the phrase, You had to be there to understand what happened. The interpreting of graffiti changes over time due to its informality. Today we do not understand a lot of ancient writings, because of the context they were written in and because society has different cultural standards. A couple hundred years from now, people might not understand the graffiti created today. However that seems unlikely, due to how well published and easily accessible information is today than in ancient times, and how it is improving constantly. Another characteristic that all graffiti both ancient and modern have in common is, unlike formal process of writing, there is no need of educating oneself or needing money to create graffiti. Graffiti, unlike scrolls or books, have a vastly larger audience.

Pompeii street graffiti

Throughout history there was more illiterate than literate people, therefore symbols and drawings were easier to understand and comprehend than written words. Someone might like to draw more than write. Then there are times when graffiti is supposed to be read. Graffiti has a special relationship with time. Unlike a written book where the last page marks its completion; layers of graffiti have been found on many surfaces. Artists draw over old to make new images or a blend of the two. Its important to tie what physical form of graffiti created and the surface it created on. Then we can interpret how people and communities interacted with graffiti. One example is graffiti can explain the use of the military in a village or how social groups interacted with each other. In the last few decades interest in the graffiti of Pompeii has led researchers and scholars to study groups like slaves because archeological studies were not providing answers. In doing so researchers learned that graffiti in homes was a social activity. It was conducted all over the house especially towards the center. The graffiti could explain stories. Studies of children graffiti from Pompeii to Herculaneum show that a pattern or rules were used not just random acts that were meaningless. Allowed researchers to understand what a child in Roman area experience life and interacted with society. Graffiti is full of diversity. In Dura, soldiers expressed their thoughts bilingually in both Greek and Latin. The countryside of some town could have a few writing style related to a particular community. Whereas a city could have dozens due to the diverse population and the exchange of ideas and inventions. How someone in Pompeii might
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mark the surface of an object is very different from how a person from Herculaneum because of who the audience is and historic influence. Sexual images and references are a common sight in Pompeii but would not be found elsewhere close by.

The graffiti within the city of Pompeii is unlike all other cities because it was preserved after the volcano Vesuvius irrupted. Usually after being discovered by researches in the 19th and 20th centuries, graffiti would erode away due to contact with the natural elements. Many homes in Pompeii were found to contain as much as 70 graffiti marks inside them. The high amount is linked to the large families and visitors.

Wall paintings had been preserved so well that roofs were constructed. Women would inscribe messages back and forth to each other when gathered in groups. Another interesting fact about Pompeii is that they signed their drawings and poetry. Many graffiti marks on wall in were names alerting people to who had been there before. Some rooms have only female no male names which are found elsewhere in the houses. Many words were abbreviated and capitalized to help those who could not

spell many word to be able to hold a conversation. Many people only knew how to spell their names, but copied words form other messages written on walls. In some rooms the discovery of the height in which the graffiti was created explains it to be the work of children in many instances. Other times it is explain by low couches people are sitting on for dinning different types of
Pompeii. Graffiti on the west wall that mentions the market

purposes. Evidence of handwriting and height

has show that graffiti is written by different people within the house communicating in the same conversation. Overall graffiti is the product of social interactions. (Baird 19-20)

Modern graffiti uses spray paint, can paint and other art supplies that can be used to mark surfaces. Society considers graffiti vandalism when used on public or private property without the consent of owner. Graffiti today is used to get political, social and humorous ideas across. It is created out on the street or purposely in art studios for galleries. Graffiti is usually done without much attention when committing the act. There are tens of thousands of graffiti artist out in the world today. From amateur street kids to professional artist who participate in graffiti art competitions. One of todays most widely know street graffiti artist is Banksy. It is speculated that his real name is either Robert Banks or Robin Gunningham, but news media can not confirm these rumors. For along time not much was known about him due to his reclusive lifestyle in fear of the authorities. So far he has not been caught, but there are reports of him getting his photo taken by the news media. He also sometimes allows interviews with reporters over the phone or in person while obscuring his face. He is know for his stencil art of war, pop culture, and social issues. Originally from Bristol, England; he travels the world tagging graffiti from New York to Timbuktu. His art work is now being displayed in exhibits and are selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is forever the conflict of whether Banksy is creating art or vandalism. He uses stencils mostly and became involved in
Olympics 2012, Banksy

the graffiti in the late building structure into

1980s. Many of his works incorporate

the actual piece, such as a brick wall that has a hole in it. The hole then is used to appear to have creatures coming and going out of it. He began to use stencils because they were fast to use than creating everything free handed. He had to be fast to avoid the police. Combined with humorous slogans his images usually has a message of anti (war, capitalism, or establishment). His graffiti often include rats, police, soldiers, children and the elderly as subjects. In recent years numerous of his outdoor works have been damaged or destroyed due to town councils voting for its removal or by other graffiti artist who are being jealous. (Banksy)

Works

London, 2010

London, 2009 Cited

Baird, J.A.; Taylor, Claire (2011-02-18). Ancient Graffiti in Timbuktu, 2008 Context (Routledge Studies in Ancient History) (p. 1-69). Taylor Banksy child sewing bunting London, 2012 & Francis. Kindle Edition.

Ohlson, Kristin, Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Magazine. N.p., 27 July 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <http mag.com/historythe-Writing-on-PompeiisVarious Street Graffiti Art,Banksy

London, 2012

://www.smithsonian archaeology/ReadingWalls.html>

http://www.banksy.co.uk/menu.html

Na, Banksy Encyclopedia of World Biography. Np., 2007. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2007-A-Co/Banksy.html
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Banksy. Various Outdoor Graffiti. 2002-2012. http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/index.html Web. 18 Nov. 2012.

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