Ruins of Pompeii and Vesuvius. Image: Silar / Wikimedia Commons. Source.
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In AD 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted near the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The eruption sent a towering column of ash and rock into the sky. Pompeii was buried under falling material, while later fast-moving hot clouds devastated the area. Many inhabitants escaped, but others died. Over centuries the city disappeared beneath deposits. Excavations beginning on a large scale in the eighteenth century revealed streets, houses, shops, graffiti, mosaics and even preserved impressions of victims. Pompeii offers an unusually detailed view of everyday life in a Roman town.
