Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius in the year AD 79. The eruption buried Pompeii under 4 to 6 m of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1749. Pompeii was rediscovered--not only its houses, but (eventually) some of its citizens. Although only fragmentary skeletal remains were found there, hollow spaces within the hardened volcanic debris revealed the forms of many deceased Romans. Their bodies eventually decayed inside the hardening matter. This air space essentially formed a mold, since the ash that had surrounded the person retained an imprint of the body. Excavators realized this and filled the air pockets with plaster. The resulting "plaster mummies" poignantly capture the human tragedy of Pompeii.
Pomergranates
If you visit Pompeii, take a comfortable pair of walking shoes, sunblock, drinking water, a reliable camera, a good guide book and a handful of dog treats.
........returning from our tourist daytrip to Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii. We stopped at this spectacular lookout over the bay and city of Naples. The lookout is along the SP2 highway over the coastal mountain range, the route between the southeast suburbs of Naples and Ravello along the Amalfi Coast.
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