Pompeii

The buried city of Pompeii is well known around the world for having been buried by a volcano. I didn’t realize that what killed the people of the city wasn’t the ash and rocks, but the fumes and gas that came first.

Plasterised person

Supposedly a pregnant woman

In 27 AD Mt Vesuvius erupted and did indeed destroy the city. Before this there had been a severe earthquake that caused a lot of damage. A very interesting technique of creating plaster casts out of the victims has allowed archaeologists to preserve what remained of people and animals when excavating. The ash somewhat preserved the bodies and concrete was pumped into the crevasses left to re-create them. As the bones remain they can be seen within the “corpses”.

Dog

Plasterised person and found ceramics

Fully functional pizza oven

It must have been an impressive city and the agoras, temples and city centre have been identified. It takes a lot of imagination to envisage what it would have been like in its heyday however.

 One particularly interesting feature of the houses can be seen in the ruins: slanted gaps in the roofs were built with a stone catchment beneath to collect the rainfall that would channel straight into it.

Spa

Roof detailing

Altar to Caesar

Painted walls

Weights and measures system

Artistic photo on ruins with the Volcano in behind!