The story of Pompeii is truly fascinating and gives us an amazing insight into just how the people of our ancient times lived.
Pompeii was an ancient Roman city near Naples in Italy. It was destroyed in 79 AD when the mighty Mount Vesuvius erupted and engulfed the city in tons of ash, leaving it buried for nearly 1.500 years.
The mighty Mount Vesuvius
Pompeii lay hidden until its first rediscovery in 1599 and further excavated almost 150 years later in 1748.
The objects discovered were found to be well-preserved mainly because of the lack of air and moisture under all the ash.
During the excavation, plaster was used to fill in the voids under the ash where human bodies once were, which allowed insight into the exact position people were in when they died.
The preserved victims of Vesuvius
Much of our knowledge about the Roman way of life, their social structure, class systems, habits and domestic arrangements have come from Pompeii.
Evidence of complex water systems, an amphitheatre, gymnasium and a port all point to a very high standard of living.
Evidence of a very high standard of living
Some items are virtually complete such as the baths and various murals and mosaics. Some buildings even have graffiti inside them describing politics, romances and other gossip of the time!
They even had traffic calming measures and one-way systems in the very decadent Roman Pompeii!
Evidence of virtually complete murals and mosaics
Pompeii has been a tourist destination for over 250 years and now has UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
It attracts nearly 2.6 million visitors every years, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy.
Join a tour with Global Coach Tours and explore this ancient and extraordinary site.
The magnificent Vesuvius overlooking Pompeii