The Lost City of Pompeii

The Lost City of Pompeii

A deafening boom roars through Pompeii’s crowded marketplace. The ground shakes violently, throwing midday shoppers off balance and toppling stands of fish and meat. People scream and point toward Mount Vesuvius, a massive volcano that rises above them.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Pompeii was a bustling city located in what is now southern Italy. But in the summer of A.D. 79, the nearby Mount Vesuvius volcano erupted. It spewed smoke and toxic gas 20 miles into the air, which soon spread to the town. Almost overnight, Pompeii—and many of its 10,000 residents—vanished under a blanket of ash.

Pompeii was basically lost and forgotten until it was rediscovered in 1748. Thanks to excavations, which are still going on today, scientists have been able to figure out almost exactly what happened on that terrible day.

THE SKY IS FALLING

After the volcano first erupted shortly after noon, the thick ash turned everything black—people couldn’t even see the sun. Some residents escaped the city, while others took shelter in their homes. But the ash kept falling. Piles grew as deep as nine feet in some places, blocking doorways and caving in roofs.

Around midnight, the first of four searing-hot clouds of ash, rock, and toxic gas (also called surges) rushed down the volcano. Traveling toward Pompeii at about 180 miles an hour, the surge scorched everything in its path. Around 7 a.m., nearly 19 hours after the initial eruption, the city was completely covered in a deadly mix of ash and rock.

LOST AND FOUND

Visiting the ruins of Pompeii is like going back in time. The layers of ash actually helped preserve buildings, artwork, and even the forms of bodies as they decomposed and left holes in the ash. All that allowed experts to fill in the details that might not have survived at many other Roman sites.

Based on what they uncovered, scientists believe that Pompeii was a prosperous town popular with wealthy vacationing Romans. Well-paved streets had high sidewalks and stepping-stones to keep pedestrians out of the mud. To relax, people soaked in public baths, watched gladiators or chariot races at an amphitheater, and enjoyed plays in two theaters.

Pompeii may be ancient history, but scientists are pretty sure Mount Vesuvius is overdue for another major explosion. Luckily the people living near the volcano today will likely receive evacuation warnings before it blows.

Why is Pompeii famous?

The city of Pompeii is famous because it was destroyed in 79 CE when a nearby volcano, Mount Vesuvius, erupted, covering it in at least 19 feet (6 metres) of ash and other volcanic debris. The city’s quick burial preserved it for centuries before its ruins were discovered in the late 16th century.

The subsequent excavation of Pompeii and the surrounding areas in the mid-18th century marked the start of the modern science of archaeology.

The archaeological sites at and around Pompeii are important because they provide a unique source of information about many aspects of social, economic, religious, and political life of the ancient world.

Why was Pompeii destroyed?

Pompeii was destroyed because of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 CE. Just after midday on August 24, fragments of ash and other volcanic debris began pouring down on Pompeii, quickly covering the city to a depth of more than 9 feet (3 metres). 

Pyroclastic material—a fluidized mixture of hot rock fragments, hot gases, and entrapped air moving at high speed in thick dark clouds that hug the ground—reached the city on the morning of August 25 and soon asphyxiated those who had not already been killed. Additional pyroclastic flows and rains of ash followed, adding at least another 9 feet of debris.

Where was Pompeii located?

The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was located in what is now the Campania region of Italy, southeast of Naples.

It was at the southeastern base of Mount Vesuvius and was built on a spur formed by a prehistoric lava flow to the north of the mouth of the Sarnus (modern Sarno) River. Pompeii was destroyed by the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 CE.

When did the volcanic eruption that destroyed Pompeii occur?

Mount Vesuvius, the volcano located to the northwest of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, has erupted many times throughout recorded history. The eruption that destroyed Pompeii occurred on August 24, 79 CE. That eruption also destroyed the cities of Herculaneum, Stabiae, Torre Annunziata, and other nearby communities.

How does Pompeii look today?

The remains of Pompeii’s city walls are 2 miles (3 km) in circumference, and they enclose an area of about 163 acres (66 hectares). Several city gates have been excavated.

There are many remains of public buildings, generally grouped in three areas: the Forum, located in the large level area to the southwest; the Triangular Forum, standing on a height at the edge of the south wall overlooking the bay; and the Amphitheatre and Palaestra, in the east.

Hundreds of private homes of various architectural styles have also been excavated at Pompeii.

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