Pompeii is now considered one of the world's most important historical sites because of the way the volcanic ash preserved the city and its people. This gives historians and archaeologists a vivid (clear, bright, vibrant, colorful) picture of life in the Roman Empire around 2,000 years ago.
Archaeologists have found graffiti written by the people who lived in the town.
People often wrote on walls, and archaeologists have been able to read some of what they wrote. Pompeii is an interesting attraction for tourists from around the world and is visited by 2.5 million people every year.
The town was started around the year 600 BC. It was started by a group of people from central Italy, the Osci. They chose to start it in this location because it was already an important location for trade (business, commerce, export) by both land and sea. By the 5th century BC, Pompeii had become part of Rome. While under Roman control, Pompeii was improved a lot. The Romans built Aqueducts, and these were used to provide the citizens with water.
Before the eruption, Pompeii was a beautiful and wealthy (rich, affluent) city. At the time of the eruption, the town may have had about 11,000 people living there. It was in an area where Romans had holiday villas. Modern professor William Abbott said, "At the time of the eruption, Pompeii had reached its high point in society as many Romans frequently visited Pompeii on vacations."
The people of Pompeii enjoyed their entertainment. There was a large amphitheater that could seat around 20,000 people for gladiator games. There were also a number of theaters for plays, religious celebrations, and musical concerts.
Before Mount Vesuvius exploded in 84 BC people who lived nearby did not even know that it was a volcano, because it had not erupted for 600 years. At about 1 PM, on August 24, 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted violently. It showered ash and pumice on the town of Pompeii, which was 8 kilometers away.
Today, people think the eruption of 79 AD lasted more than 19 hours. It was noticed by Pliny the Younger who described the mushroom cloud from the volcano as being in the shape of umbrella pine, a tree commonly found in the region. Pliny the Younger was the only person to write the story down.
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| Umbrella Pine Tree |
Vesuvius erupted 50 more times after the eruption in 79 AD. Vesuvius was named a national park in 1995.
The city of Pompeii was buried and gone. People eventually forgot about it. It wasn't discovered again until the 1700s when archeologists began to uncover the city. They found something amazing. Much of the city was preserved under the ashes. Buildings, paintings, houses, and workshops that would never have survived all these years remained intact. As a result, much of what we know about everyday life in the Roman Empire comes from Pompeii.
Facts About the City of Pompeii
- The people of Pompeii had a festival to honor the god of fire, Vulcan, one day before the eruption happened.
- There was so much energy that came out of the volcano that it was more than a hundred thousand times the energy of the atomic bomb.
- Herculaneum, a city close to Pompeii, was also destroyed by the volcano.
- Scientists were able to make full casts (molds) of the people of Pompeii that were covered in volcanic ash.
- Pompeii was only eight kilometers from Mount Vesuvius.
- Piles of ash were deeper than three meters in some places. ,
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- By noon, residents of Pompeii could not even see the sun because the ash was so thick in the air.
- It only took about 19 hours
for Pompeii to be covered entirely in volcanic ash and rock.