In the photo above is the ruins of the city of Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. It was the eruption of that volcano in 79 AD that in the space of two days buried Pompeii in more than 20 feet of cinder. It was only in the 18th century that systematic excavations began which have provided first-class evidence of the ancient way of life. In the photo below is one of the victims of the eruption.
