Pompeii
LocationItaly (Naples)
Built79 AD (buried)
Size66 hectares
Built ByRoman Empire
About Pompeii
Buried under 4-6 meters of volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius. Preserved buildings, artifacts, and even human body casts. The eruption released 100,000 times the thermal energy of Hiroshima. Pliny the Younger documented the eruption from across the bay. About 2,000 of 11,000 residents died. Excavations began in 1748 and continue today.
Related Monuments
Colosseum
Could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators. Had a retractable canvas roof called the velarium o...
Pantheon Rome
Has the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, a record held for 1,900 years. The oculus i...
Roman Forum
Center of political and social life in ancient Rome. Julius Caesar was cremated here. The Curia hous...