What was Pompeii?
Pompeii was an ancient Roman city near Naples, Italy, that was buried by ash and pumice when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. Its remarkably preserved ruins show daily life in the Roman Empire.
Pompeii was a busy town of perhaps 10,000 to 20,000 people, with shops, taverns, baths, temples and an amphitheater. When Vesuvius erupted, it first rained pumice stones on the city, then sent superheated clouds of gas and ash, called pyroclastic flows, racing down its slopes. Thousands of people were killed, and the city was buried under several meters of debris.
The eruption also buried nearby Herculaneum. A Roman writer, Pliny the Younger, watched the eruption from across the bay and described it in letters, giving us an eyewitness account. His uncle, Pliny the Elder, died trying to rescue people.
Rediscovery
Pompeii was rediscovered in the 1700s, and excavations continue today. Archaeologists poured plaster into hollow spaces left by bodies in the ash, creating casts of victims. Frescoes, mosaics, graffiti and even food have survived. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by millions.
Did You Know?
Traditionally, the eruption was dated to August 24, AD 79, but recent evidence, including an inscription found in 2018, suggests it may have happened in October.