Visitors to Pompeii forget all too easily that people died in the city before the catastrophe of a.d. 79. This is the contention of Virginia Campbell, who opens her survey of the funerary landscape of Pompeii by remarking on how little attention has been paid, even by scholars, to the tombs which memorialize the lives of the city's inhabitants. With the aim not only of rectifying this, but of facilitating future enquiries, C. offers us a book which falls neatly into two parts. The first (chs 1–7) provides the reader with a synthesis of the context in which burial monuments from the city should be evaluated, as well as more detailed snapshot analyses concerning issues of organization, space and society. This will be of interest to scholars of Pompeian society and Roman funerary and commemorative practices. C.’s analysis relies on the second part (Appendices 1–3), which takes the form of a comprehensive ‘compilation of a uniform data set of information on the tombs found in the immediate vicinity of the city’ (147). This catalogue is the standout feature of the book, bringing together for the first time material concerning the typologies of individual tombs, inscriptions and the arrangement of all Pompeian burial areas.

The book is aimed at the reader who possesses a working scholarly knowledge of Pompeii and C. must be praised for wasting no time with extraneous scene-setting. A brief introduction (ch. 1) establishes the limited extent to which funerary data from six burial areas (located outside five of the city's gates) has been synthesized, and points towards the benefits of doing so. Ch. 2 offers a concise, although rather routine review of the bigger picture of Roman funerary activities, drawing attention to recent work concerning funerary rituals, grief, mourning and commemoration, the regulation of burial and studies which seek to establish tomb typologies. The latter, C. argues, are neither detailed nor precise enough to be applied to Pompeii's immense variety of forms. She explores this diversity (ch. 3), paying particular attention to questions of layout and design. It is her intent to ‘determine a pattern in the development of the various necropoleis’ (31), although ultimately she concludes that it is variety, rather than a demonstrable pattern, which characterizes the funerary landscape. Certain forms appear to be unique (eight examples of scholae), whilst others reflect regional traditions (over 400 columellae or ‘headstones’). Ch. 4 shifts our attention to epigraphy, including primary texts related to a tomb's construction as well as columellae, dipinti and graffiti. C. concludes that the evidence does not align well with the typical formulae of funerary inscriptions including, most surprisingly, a complete absence of references to the Manes. She describes this as ‘an anomaly’ (64) and highlights other ways in which the epigraphic record, whilst adhering to ‘generally expected patterns’, also demonstrates ‘that, in essence, the Pompeians established their own practices, to some extent, independent of what was going on elsewhere in Italy and the Empire’ (68–9). These observations are made possible thanks to her extensive database, although the reader is left with many questions: what does this suggest about the socio-cultural environment of Pompeii? Should we expect similar localized diversity to emerge if we conduct the same type of comprehensive analysis at other cities? How far do these conclusions suggest that we must revise broader understandings of ‘death and burial in the Roman world’? In other words, is the variety witnessed at Pompeii a consequence of comparing highly specific evidence with an otherwise overly generalized picture, or were the inhabitants of Pompeii acting in ways that were genuinely different, and if so, why?

Ch. 5 tackles specific issues concerning the regulation of burial space through an examination of boundary markers and a convincing re-interpretation of the phrase ex decreto decurionum. This introduces questions concerning class and self-representation which are picked up in ch. 6 where case studies examine how certain members of society presented themselves: tombs created by a familia, Eumachia as an example of the élite electing to perpetuate their memory in the forum rather than the cemetery, and liberti. Once more, and especially evident in the higher than expected numbers of former slaves commemorating patrons, the evidence bucks expected trends. C.’s decision to restrict herself to a discussion of burial activities connected only with monumental tombs somewhat limits these conclusions: monumental tombs cannot possibly represent the entire community and despite noting instances of ‘poor burials’, the freeborn non-élite are largely absent from her reconstruction of the Pompeian funerary landscape. Her comprehensive collation of data concerning columellae offers scope for future enquiry here. A conclusion (ch. 7) reiterates the extent to which variety and individual choice are the typical characteristics of Pompeian funerary behaviour, even if burial space was strictly regulated and money, rather than legal or social class, did most of the talking.

Three appendices present a thorough compilation of data relating to all Pompeian tombs, including boundary markers and decontextualized inscriptions. Amassing a wealth of information, this catalogue will no doubt provide the catalyst for all future studies of burial and commemoration at Pompeii. Indeed, by restricting her conclusions to questions of organization, space and (some aspects of) society, and by choosing not to speculate on the wider significance of her observations, C. has generously unlocked a door for her colleagues to tease open, and it is certain that all will be immensely grateful for the groundwork she has laid.