Devastation of Pompeii

Pretty no? 

A view of Mt Vesuvius as we left Naples.  The volcano seems peaceful now. 

This was a pretty shocking and eye opening day.  Feel unable to truly share it all but here are a few glimpses into the day.  While there had been several earthquakes in the years prior to the eruption, and while there were construction techniques in place to help mitigate that, people were unprepared for this explosion. 

 The eruption began around noon on what’s believed to be October 24, 79  For about 12 hours volcanic ash and pumice stones up to 3 inches in diameter showered Pompeii . People died from collapsing roofs under the weight of ash and volcanic debris, and from rocks falling from the sky. .

Early morning of Day 2 the most lethal pyroclastic current struck —approximately 19 hours after the initial eruption. This surge traveled at over 200 mph with temperatures exceeding 300°C, causing instant death for everyone remaining in Pompeii 

Most victims died of asphyxiation during these pyroclastic surges , rather than from the initial ashfall. The eruption itself lasted about two days total, but the critical deaths in Pompeii occurred within the first 24 hours. Six 6 meters (20 feet) of volcanic ash fell on the city. 

  These plaster cases capture some of the immediacy of those fatal moments 

Covering his face from the fumes

A sleeping family

And the family dog 

A dynamic vibrant city gone in a moment and pretty much remained buried under volcanic ash for approximately 1,670 years.  

The picture of life there is telling. 

The forum: center of activity for the city

One of the accommodations for earthquakes was building columns using bricks and whitewashing them. They tended to weather the vibrations better. 

 

Around the forum were the storerooms, Shops and food stalls

Here is a food stall with terracotta warming surface  

And a grooved track for a sliding door on a shop

And ceramic wine vessels

With their pointed ends making them easier to transport stuck into sand boxes. 

And bath houses and meeting spaces and homes and….

And if you were wealthy and wanted to warn off wood be thieves: 

You might install this 

Beware of Dog

Hot truck. Terracotta warming 

Beware of the dog 





Dino’s.