Vesuvius Erupts: Pompeii and Herculaneum Buried in Ash
Mount Vesuvius unleashed a pyroclastic surge that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum under meters of ash, instantly erasing two thriving Roman cities and killing thousands whose bodies remain scattered beneath the ruins today. This catastrophe preserved an entire snapshot of daily life for modern archaeologists to study while simultaneously ending centuries of Roman habitation in the Bay of Naples.
August 24, 79
1947 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on August 24
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