"The APS Franklin Grant made all the difference in the amount of time I was able to spend on-site in Pompeii, and subsequently how well I came to understand the archaeological evidence. Instead of a few days and a cursory check of the archaeological material, I could spend weeks and work my way through the taverns, houses, and public buildings where people left their mark, wrote about their travels, and proclaimed their civic pride. I even discovered inscriptions that had never been published." Rebecca Benefiel's project, Pompeii and her Neighbors: Ancient Graffiti and Regional Interaction, examined graffiti as a window onto the dynamic social interactions and economic networks among inhabitants of different communities across the populous region of Campania.  Dr. Benefiel is an Assistant Professor of Classics at Washington and Lee University.  (Franklin Grant)