Pompeii is buried by Vesuvius

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii under ash and pumice. Excavations began in the 1700s and revealed streets, houses, paintings and everyday objects.

Context

The date most often given, late August 79 CE, comes from the letters of Pliny the Younger, who watched the eruption from across the bay. Some archaeological finds, such as seasonal fruit and a charcoal inscription, have led scholars to suggest a later date in autumn, so the exact day is still discussed.

Pompeii was buried under several meters of falling pumice and ash, which sealed buildings, wall paintings and household goods. Nearby Herculaneum was overwhelmed in a different way, by fast-moving surges of hot gas and volcanic material.

Organized excavation began in the mid-1700s under the Bourbon rulers of Naples. In the 1860s the archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli began pouring plaster into the hollows left by decayed bodies, giving shape to victims' final moments. Digging continues today, and large parts of the city remain unexcavated.

Pompeii matters because it preserved ordinary Roman life, from shop signs and graffiti to bakeries and homes, in a way few other sites can.

Today the site draws millions of visitors a year, which creates a conservation challenge, and UNESCO has listed the area, with Herculaneum, as a World Heritage site since 1997.