By the 1st century AD, Pompeii was one of a number of towns near the base of the volcano,
Mount Vesuvius. The area had a substantial population, which had grown prosperous from
the region's renowned agricultural fertility. Many of Pompeii's neighboring communities, most
famously Herculaneum, also suffered damage or destruction during the 79 eruption. The
eruption occurred on 24 August AD 79. multidisciplinary volcanological and bio-
anthropological study of the eruption products and victims, merged with numerical
simulations and experiments, indicates that at Vesuvius and surrounding towns heat was the
main cause of death of people, previously believed to have died by ash suffocation. The
results of the study, published in 2010, show that exposure to at least 250 °C hot pyroclastic
flows at a distance of 10 kilometres from the vent was sufficient to cause instant death, even
if people were sheltered within buildings. The people and buildings of Pompeii were covered
in up to twelve different layers of tephra, in total 25 meters deep, which rained down for
about six hours. Pliny the Younger provided a first-hand account of the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius from his position across the Bay of Naples at Misenum, in a version he wrote 25
years after the event. His uncle, Pliny the Elder died while attempting to rescue stranded victims. As admiral of the fleet, Pliny the Elder had ordered
the ships of the Imperial Navy stationed at MIsenum to cross the bay to assist evacuation attempts. Volcanologists have recognised the importance of
Pliny the Younger's account of the eruption by calling similar events "Plinnian"".The eruption was documented by contemporary historians and is
generally accepted as having started on 24 August 79, relying on one version of the text of Pliny's letter. However the archeological excavations of
Pompeii suggest that the city was buried about three months later. This is supported by another version of the letter, which gives the date of the
eruption as November 23. People buried in the ash appear to have been wearing heavier clothing than the light summer clothes typical of August. The
fresh fruit and vegetables in the shops are typical of October—and conversely the summer fruit typical of August was already being sold in dried, or
conserved form. Wine fermenting jars had been sealed, which would have happened around the end of October. Coins found in the purse of a woman
buried in the ash include one with a fifteenth imperatorial acclamation among the emperor's titles. These cannot have been minted before the second
week of September. So far there is no definitive theory as to why there should be such an apparent discrepancy. (Wikipedia)
POMPEII
Location: 40° 45’ N, 14° 29’ E
click on pictures to enlarge
HOME
Pompeii - 12.October 2016
Mount Vesuvius. The area had a substantial population, which had grown prosperous from
the region's renowned agricultural fertility. Many of Pompeii's neighboring communities, most
famously Herculaneum, also suffered damage or destruction during the 79 eruption. The
eruption occurred on 24 August AD 79. multidisciplinary volcanological and bio-
anthropological study of the eruption products and victims, merged with numerical
simulations and experiments, indicates that at Vesuvius and surrounding towns heat was the
main cause of death of people, previously believed to have died by ash suffocation. The
results of the study, published in 2010, show that exposure to at least 250 °C hot pyroclastic
flows at a distance of 10 kilometres from the vent was sufficient to cause instant death, even
if people were sheltered within buildings. The people and buildings of Pompeii were covered
in up to twelve different layers of tephra, in total 25 meters deep, which rained down for
about six hours. Pliny the Younger provided a first-hand account of the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius from his position across the Bay of Naples at Misenum, in a version he wrote 25
years after the event. His uncle, Pliny the Elder died while attempting to rescue stranded victims. As admiral of the fleet, Pliny the Elder had ordered
the ships of the Imperial Navy stationed at MIsenum to cross the bay to assist evacuation attempts. Volcanologists have recognised the importance of
Pliny the Younger's account of the eruption by calling similar events "Plinnian"".The eruption was documented by contemporary historians and is
generally accepted as having started on 24 August 79, relying on one version of the text of Pliny's letter. However the archeological excavations of
Pompeii suggest that the city was buried about three months later. This is supported by another version of the letter, which gives the date of the
eruption as November 23. People buried in the ash appear to have been wearing heavier clothing than the light summer clothes typical of August. The
fresh fruit and vegetables in the shops are typical of October—and conversely the summer fruit typical of August was already being sold in dried, or
conserved form. Wine fermenting jars had been sealed, which would have happened around the end of October. Coins found in the purse of a woman
buried in the ash include one with a fifteenth imperatorial acclamation among the emperor's titles. These cannot have been minted before the second
week of September. So far there is no definitive theory as to why there should be such an apparent discrepancy. (Wikipedia)
POMPEII
Location: 40° 45’ N, 14° 29’ E
click on pictures to enlarge
HOME
Pompeii - 12.October 2016
