[Geology2] The Lost City of Pompeii: Pictures of an Alien World, Frozen in Time

The Lost City of Pompeii: Pictures of an Alien World, Frozen in Time

In the year 79 AD, Italy's Mt. Vesuvius erupted with superheated ash that rained fiery death on several Roman cities nearby. But none was hit harder than vacation town Pompeii, which was buried in a thick layer of broiling ash in a matter of seconds.

That ash killed over 1,000 people instantly and buried the town, which was eventually forgotten. But 1,800 years later, explorers and archaeologists discovered Pompeii again. The disaster that had wiped out this bustling town also preserved it like an insect in amber. Beneath layers of muddy ash was a snapshot of everyday life in a Roman town, complete with bank receipts, graffiti, "for rent" signs, public mosaics depicting extremely graphic sex, and penis decorations on street corners. The more we learn about Pompeii, the more it seems that the origins of Western culture are nothing like Western culture today.

What was daily life really like in the Roman Empire? Here's what we know, based on the time capsule of Pompeii.

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Read the rest of the story here

PS Take heed! Some of the images presented are of graphic sex and maybe offensive to some. This is why I did not post the entire feature here.



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