Tuesday we had a guided tour of the ancient city of Pompeii
which is situated east of Naples. In
about 79 AD the volcano Vesuvius erupted, spewing volcanic ash over everything
in the area, completely burying the city of Pompeii. The devastation was so complete that the city
was not rediscovered until the 16th century. Since that time archeologists have uncovered
and cleaned up about 25% of the city.
The ash killed every man, woman, child, and animal in the area, and only
the stone buildings and streets remain.
All of the wooden structures were completely destroyed. The ash
preserved some of the stucco walls which were painted with murals.
Interestingly, many of the people and animals were left
as shells, the flesh and bone completely burned away. The archeologists were able to fill the
shells with plaster to cast an image of the people in the exact position they
were in when they perished.
The remarkable preservation lets us see exactly how the
city was laid out, and provides clues as to how people lived in those
days. For example, the city had running
water, provided through lead pipes that are clearly visible. There are ruins of temples, a huge forum
area, shopping areas, courts, etc.
A well preserved home that was apparently owned by a
wealthy family has painted plaster walls, an atrium, mosaic tilled floors, and
an altar for the house gods.
A well preserved spa had hot baths, with heated floors,
and work out areas.
There was a huge theater that had acoustics so good that
people in the top row could easily hear the orators on the stage below.
It is clear that this city was built using a master
design. It was built in a beautiful
setting in a valley between a chain of mountains and Mt. Vesuvius. The views from the forum area are fantastic.
