Pompei

Pompei founded in 600 BC was once a thriving commercial port of 20,000 for the Romans. Then on August 24, 79 AD the city was buried 30 feet by hot volcanic ash. Though Pompei was discovered in 1599, it wasn't excavated until 1748. It is said to have 40 bakeries, 30 brothels and 130 hotels, restaurants, and bars.

 The beginning..we walked up the walkway to a place that existed 2000 years ago.....

                                      A house where the water was collected in the middle.

.

This is the Basillica but it was closed off.

                                        The Forum ..dominated by the temple of Jupiter.

Artifacts collected around

Look at the beautiful mural still present. This is where they came to buy fish, bread, meats and other things.

These pictures are casts of bodies that were found and have been preserved. Where the archaeologists detected a hollow space from where a body had decomposed they made casts of the void.

The picture below is of a dog.

        The stepping stones.. The streets were flooded daily with gushing water to clean them. The stepping stones let people pass and not get their sandals wet and the chariots could go through.  Side walks elevated to hide the plumbing. They had 3 sets of pipes- one for the home, one for the baths, and one for the fountains.

 This is the Theater which seats 5,000. There are 3 different sets of seats at different prices.
There is also an Amphitheater in the distance.

 The barracks of the Gladiators and the place of practice

 Brothel with the bed in the room. Below is one of the many pictures of positions or services you might like.

 Mt Vesuvius in the back ground.  Draw a triangle from the two peaks and you can see what the mountain looked like before it erupted.

 I am told by one of the students here interning at the Mt. that they have lots of instruments watching to see if the sleeping giant awakens.  I want to be gone by then.
Ciao :-)