Pompeii

In 79 A.D., the ancient Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of a nearby volcano, Mt. Vesuvius. Although many other cities in history have been victims to eruptions of volcanoes and their deadly gas, lava, and ash, what makes Pompeii especially interesting is what happened years later.

In 1748, explorers in the Italian region where Pompeii once stood made an incredible discovery. Buried underneath layers of dirt, the city of Pompeii remained preserved. The original volcanic explosion had happened so quickly that most of the citizens were unable to escape. Their remains and the buildings of the city were still there, preserved, as if the year was still 79 A.D. instead of 1748. Some were frozen as if running from the fiery inferno while others were engaged in normal daily activities. The layers of dust had frozen the day in history.

Archeologists would later begin the careful process of excavating the now famous city from the layers of ash. The tragedy of Pompeii is the loss of the city and the approximately two thousand people who died during the eruption. Ironically, the deadly eruption helped preserve Pompeii so that no one will ever forget the name of this ancient Roman civilization.