Lovely Pompeii

Have you ever heard of the ancient Italian city called Pompeii? Pompeii was a large and thriving city when a volcano named Mt. Vesuvius erupted, killing many of the city's inhabitants and leaving behind a perfectly preserved example of ancient life in the Mediterranean.

Aerial view of Pompeii

Many people who've heard of Pompeii don't realize there were actually two cities that were destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius: Pompeii and Herculaneum. Both were completely covered by volcanic ash when Vesuvius belched volcanic ash and hot mud on Aug. 24th in the year 79 AD.

Atrist's rendition of Mt. Vesuvius eruption.

Both cities were forgotten until they were found again in the 1700s. Over time the cities became completely buried. Excavation – which is the process archaeologists use to dig up buried artifacts – has been underway for several hundred years. There have been many bodies discovered. Frozen in the last position of their lives. Silent victims allowing their bodies to tell their story. At Pompeii, there are still many, many areas yet to be uncovered.

"Statues" of Pompeii residents frozen in time.

Pompeii was a city of 20,000 residents. In many ways it was very progressive: Pompeii had indoor running water, a thriving marketplace, an ampitheater for entertainment and a structured government. The homes of the wealthiest citizens reveal beautiful works of art, particularly frescoes (pictures painted on the walls using a specific technique) and a reverence for the local gods and goddesses. Surviving fresco in Pompeii. Pompeii also contained public baths, cobblestone streets, sidewalks and many private shops where its residents could purchase almost anything they wanted. Since Pompeii was a port city, located on the blue waters of the Bay of Naples, the people who lived there could take advantage of the many ships that made port in Pompeii. They brought goods from many other, exotic locations, to trade and sell in Pompeii and other Roman cities. Street in Pompeii. The people themselves were typical of the Roman empire at that time. There were several classes in Roman society, starting with the very wealthy and ending with slaves. The slaves were usually people who had been captured and enslaved following a war. They served the wealthier Romans and were the lowest class of people in Roman society. Bath house Volcanoes are not all alike. Vesuvius is what is known as a composite volcano. Composite volcanoes have two different types of eruptions: the kind you see in the movies where the volcano spits molten lava and the kind where the volcano spews ash and rock. The eruption that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum was of the latter kind. Remnants of a bakery Many times before an explosion, a volcano will "rumble" a bit – that is, make noises without actually exploding. Prior to the actual eruption, witnesses reported seeing a very large "cloud" over the top of the mountain. This cloud was made from volcanic ash and cinders. Pompeii was famous for their brothels. This brothel had an illustrated menu over the doors of the cubicles. The ash from a burned object is usually very light. It looks harmless. But volcanic ash chokes and suffocates every living thing, which is what happened when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Volcanic ash is thick and heavy and falls in massive amounts, along with hot cinders and rocks. This first stage of eruption is called the "plinian stage" of a volcanic eruption. Body at the foot of stairs. Pompeii was buried under 8 to 10 feet of ash and debris. Pliny the Younger, a Roman soldier, witnessed much of the eruption and helped to evacuate a small number of residents. The plinian stage is named for him. Amphitheater Pompeii was buried under 8 to 10 feet of ash and debris. Pliny the Younger, a Roman soldier, witnessed much of the eruption and helped to evacuate a small number of residents. The plinian stage is named for him. What are your thoughts about Pompeii?