On this page, you can learn the reason why many historians are secretly happy that volcanoes can ruin villages.
In the year 79 CE, Mt Vesuvius did what any volcano would do, it erupted. Though it doesn't sound that surprising to us, for the people who lived in the city of Pompeii, it was devastating. When Mt. Vesuvius erupted, the people of Pompeii were not ready. When the volcano erupted, the entire city of Pompeii (and many other cities near it) were covered in 9 feet of ash and other volcanic debris! Pyroclastic material and heated gas made their way to the city by the day after the eruption, causing many to die. More and more debris and gasses flowed out of the volcano, until Pompeii was entirely buried in layers of pumice stones and ash. This preserved the city and protected them for 17 centuries (all the inhabitants were dead, but their bodies remained perfectly intact)!
Pompeii was an ancient city built on a spur formed by a prehistoric lava flow to the north of the mouth of the Sarnus (modern Sarno) River. The city changed hands many times over its history. An earthquake in 62 CE did great damage in both Pompeii. The city had not yet recovered from this catastrophe when final destruction overcame them 17 years later.
Thanks to the volcanic ash that covered Pompeii, the people that lived there were perfectly preserved. Archaeologists have a long process that allows them to form a cast around the bodies, so we can see exactly what the people of Pompeii were doing when the volcano erupted. This helps historians learn about everyday life in 79 CE. You can visit Pompeii today, and see the statues of the people who lived there thousands of years ago.