the.com/pompeii
a roman city died mid-sentence, and the sentence is still legible.
means a wealthy roman town buried and perfectly preserved by mount vesuvius's eruption in 79 ad, freezing daily life at the exact moment it stopped.
from founded by the oscans in the 7th century bce, later a roman resort town for the wealthy, until vesuvius buried it under 4-6 meters of ash and pumice in one afternoon, erasing it from maps until a farmer's well hit ruins in 1599.
burial timeburied in under 24 hours
rediscovery gaplost for roughly 1,500 years
body castsmade by pouring plaster into ash voids
graffiti survivedincludes insults, love notes, and election ads
for instance
garden of the fugitives — 13 victims cast mid-flight, found in 1961
villa of the mysteries — frescoes of a secret cult ritual, untouched since 79 ad
house of the faun — largest pompeii home, held the alexander mosaic
herculaneum — nearby town buried in mud, even better preserved