Mount vesuvius

the destruction of Pompeii

Today we will be exploring the ancient civilization of

Pompeii: examining the way the city operated and what

happened to it.

Before we begin our journey, watch this short

introductory video.

stop #1: location

The ancient city of Pompeii was

located eight miles from mt.

vesuvius and sixteen miles away

from Naples.

Mount vesuvius is the last active

volcano in the Campanian volcanic Arc.

Stop #2: Pompeiian civilization

Pompeii was one of the largest and

most luxurious cities of its day

with 20,000 residents and

numerous vacation homes for members of the senate.

Check out this website to see what a day-in-the-life

would have looked like.

Stop #3: Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius was Formed by

convergence of African and

Eurasian plates. It is a composite

or stratovocano, which means

that it is built on the layering of

magma and sediment. This particular volcano was

4,190 ft tall prior to its eruption.

stop #4: The Eruption

The eruption began at 1pm on

August 24, 79 ad and lasted for

almost an entire day. When the

eruption began, somewhere are

18,000 citizens evacuated the city. After the eruption

was over, the entire city was covered in 25 feet of

lapilli and ash and a base surge swept down the

mountain killing the remaining 2,000 people.

imbed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY_3ggKg0Bc

Stop #5: The Destruction

The 2,000 people that remained in the city

were killed instantly by asphyxiation.

The city was utterly destroyed. It was so

thoroughly buried that it became lost to

civilization for years.

Since its rediscovery though, Pompeii has become a

goldmine for historians and archeologists. Because

the entire city was buried in ash and lapilli, most of

the bodies, artifacts, and even the buildings were

preserved remarkably well.