TORONTO—In 79 A.D. Mount Vesuvius erupted violently, burying Pompeii and its inhabitants under a thick layer of ash and debris. Within three days, the prosperous Roman city and its inhabitants vanished from the face of the earth—fated to be mostly forgotten for more than 1,600 years.
Today, Pompeii has become the world’s largest archaeological and excavation site, unveiling a brief glimpse into the Roman civilization that built it and the people who inhabited it.
From a bowl of figs ready to be eaten to half a loaf of bread, the most minute details of the lives of Pompeii’s inhabitants were preserved under the mounds of ash and pumice, along with priceless artistic treasures that shed insight into a rich cultural legacy.
The volcano preserved a wide variety of lifestyles, from the blacksmith's shop to graffiti on walls, to blunt advertisements announcing gladiator fights.
