21 April 2012

Pompeii



More than 2,000 years ago, Pompeii was a thriving Roman town. Located just a few miles from the Mediterranean, it was a center for commercial and economic activity. Then, in 79 BC, nearby Mt. Vesuvius erupted. Four thousand meters were blown off the top of the mountain and everything was covered in hot ash and completely covered the whole area. The ash cloud rose more than 30 km in the sky and the coastline was pushed back a several miles. 

Can you imagine what the people must have thought when they saw the volcano erupt? They didn't even know what volcanoes were! These photos are casts found in the space between the ash, where people were buried. The organic matter has long since decayed, but archeologists created these molds.

Lucky for us, Pompeii's demise has today allowed archaeologists and historians to understand what life was like in an ancient Roman town. And luckily for me, I got to go see it last weekend. Even though it was a little rainy, Pompeii was incredible. There was so much to see! Our guide told us that to see everything, you would need about three days. We had four hours.



The frescos and decorative features of the buildings were incredible. Look at that tile work from 2,000 years ago! We also saw some of the more risque parts of Pompeii. Brothels were a normal part of life.
I hope Blogger doesn't get me in trouble for this.
Brothel Bed
The Roman Baths were also beautifully decorated and were a popular meeting place for citizens.

At the end of the tour, we went to an old Colosseum, older than the one in Rome. It's a bit smaller, but incredibly well preserved. It's amazing to think about the abilities of humans two thousand years ago and at Pompeii, their abilities are impossible to deny.

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