Pompeii

A Roman city frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Pompeii was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and many surrounding villas, it was buried under 4 to 6 m of volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Quick Facts

Location: Pompei, Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, Italy
Area: 64 to 67 ha
Built: 7th–6th century BC
Abandoned: AD 79

Facts from the source article.

Background

Pompeii was built approximately 40 m above sea level on a coastal lava plateau created by earlier eruptions of Mount Vesuvius. The city, once by the shoreline, is today circa 700 m inland. It covered a total of 64 to 67 ha and was home to 11,000 to 11,500 people, based on household counts. The first stable settlements date to the 8th century BC when the Oscans founded five villages. The city was later influenced by Greeks, Etruscans, and Samnites before becoming a Roman ally. It was buried in 79 AD and largely preserved under ash, offering a snapshot of Roman life. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Did You Know?

The name Pompeii may come from the Oscan word for the number five, pompe, suggesting five hamlets or a family group (gens Pompeia).
Organic remains, including wooden objects and human bodies, were interred in the ash; their decay allowed archaeologists to create moulds of figures in their final moments.
The numerous graffiti carved on walls provide examples of the largely lost Vulgar Latin spoken colloquially at the time.