POMPEII HISTORY

POMPEII WAS AN ANCIENT CITY NEAR NAPLES IN ITALIAN REGION OF COMPANIA NEAR NAPLES.  POMPEII WAS DESTROYED AND BURIED UNDER 6 M OF ASH DURING MT VESUVIUS IN 79 A.D.

THE TOWN WAS FOUNDED IN 6TH CENTURY.  IT WAS CAPTURED BY ROMANS IN 80 B.C. DURING DESTRUCTION IT HAD 20,000 FOLKS WITH COMPLEX WATER SYSTEM AND AMPHITHEATER.  THE ERUPTION WAS A DISASTER FOR THE TOWN.  THE SITE WAS LOST FOR 1500 YEARS UNTIL DISCOVERY IN 1600.  THE OBJECTS THAT LAY BENEATH THE CITY HAVE BEEN PRESERVED FOR 1000'S OF YEARS BECAUSE OF LACK OF AIR MOISTURE.  THESE ARTIFACTS ALLOWED DETAILED INFORMATION REGARDING LIFE OF THE CITY WHEN ROMANS TOOK OVER.  THE PEOPLE  WHO DIED HERE WERE WELL PRESERVED AS THE ASH LAYERS PRESERVED THEM.

FOR 250 YEARS POMPEII HAS BEEN A BIG TOURIST DESTINATION FOR ITALY.  THEY HAVE 25 MILLION VISITORS PER YEAR.  POMPEII IS TRANSLATED IN LATIN AS "5" - PERHAPS 5 HAMLETS.  IT COVERS A BOUT 163 ACRES AND WAS A MAJOR CITY.  

THERE WERE OLDER PARTS OF POMPEII THAT HAD OTHER EXPOSED LAYERS THAT HAD BEEN COVERED DURING OTHER ASH EXPLOSIONS. MANY FOLKS ARE EMPLOYED IN THE TOURISM BUSINESS.  THE RUINS ARE EASILY ACCESSED.  ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE FOUND LAVA BELOW THE CITY WITH BITS OF ANIMAL BONE,  POTTERY SHERDS AND PLANTS.  BY C 14 DATING THE OLDEST LAYERS DATE FROM 8TH CENTURY B.C.  IT WAS USED AS A SAFER PORT BY GREEK PHOENICIANS, GREEK SAILORS.  ACCORDING TO STRABO, ETRUSCANS CAPTURED EXCAVATIONS.  POMPEII WAS FIRST CAPTURED BY THE GREEK COLONY IN 525 B.C.

THEY BUILT SEVERAL TEMPLES FOR JUPITER AND APOLLO THAT WERE DESTROYED BY VOLCANIC ERUPTION.  SOME MOSAIC PORTRAITS HAVE BEEN PRESERVED.  WINE JARS HAVE BEEN FOUND BEARING THE WORLD'S  EARLIEST  BLEND.  DURING THE EARLY PERIOD OF 89 B.C POMPEII WAS ANNEXED TO ROMAN REPUBLIC.  THEY BUILT A LARGE AMPHITHEATRE AND HAD MANY EROTIC DECORS IN THEIR ART AND SCULPTURE.  THE AREA HAS A GOOD FERTILITY OF THE SOIL WITH MUCH ASH.  THE TOWN ASKS FOLKS TO VISIT HERCULANEUM AND ITALIAL AS WELL.

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