Pompeii
Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius
Pompeii was a city below Mount Vesuvius (a volcano)
Pompeii had 20,000 citizens
Pompeii (located five miles next to Mount Vesuvius) was a flourishing place for the most distinguished people of the Roman empire
Pompeii had elegant houses and elaborate villas (Many were filled with beautiful artwork and sparkling fountains)
Mount Vesuvius Erupts
The volcano erupted on August 24, 79 A.D.
Pliny the Younger (Roman writer) wrote what he saw (he saw the city in horror)
He wrote that rocks and gas shot out into the sky
black ash clouds began to cover the sky
The sun was blocked out as ash rained down on the city of Pompeii and its people
Frightened citizens fled in shock and awe
City of Fire and Lava
Fiery lava flowed down to the city of Pompeii
The city caught fire and buildings burned and collapsed
Clouds of volcanic ash enveloped the city and killed the citizens of Pompeii
The city was buried with 25 feet of volcanic ash
Poisonous gasses covered the city and killed more people
Pompeii is Devasted
Pompeii experienced lightning, earthquakes, and tidal waves for three days
Pompeii goes silent and becomes a deserted city
Pompeii is Preserved
Volcanic ash covered the city and preserved the bodies and the city's contents
Archaeologists in 1861 found houses, shops, vases, etc. after removing the layers ash
These finds gave us a look into early Roman life
The bodies decayed but the ash remained
Scientists poured plaster in the cavity of the ash to reveal the form of the bodies
Gerardo R.
Olive Vista STEAM Magnet Middle School Student