Pompeii

By Rebecca Nash

The unexpected catastrophe

It is almost certain that when the eruption of the volcano (mount Vesuvius) happened no one was prepared and no one knew what was happening and no one knew what to do, so they just stood there and watched.

The eruption

On the 24th of august the sleeping giant awakened in the south of Italy with a bang, sapeewing volcanic ash across the countryside.

The volcano

Mount Vesuvius (the volcano) was formed 25,000 years ago. During its most explosive eruptions, the volcano could blanket nearby cities with hot ash, sometimes also burying them with deadly flows of mud and rocks.

The most famous eruption

The famous eruption occurred nearly 2,000 years ago, in the year 79 A.D. The erruption lasted 18 hours and destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, killing thousands of people as they tried to escape.

Is Naples safe from the volcano?

Scientists and city officials had supposed that Naples, one of Italy's most populous cities, was far enough away from the eruption that it would be safe from the volcano's wrath. New evidence suggests that this might not be the case.

What has been recently discovered

Researchers recently discovered 4000-year-old layers of ash and mud under present-day Naples. Just outside the city, they also uncovered abandoned villages, as well as human and animal skeletons.

The footprints

Most surprising of all, the researchers say, was the discovery of thousands of footprints from the same time period, pressed into layers of wet ash that had rained from the sky. The footprints show that thousands of people were running to the northwest, away from the volcano, as it erupted.

Is mount Vesuvius safe now?Mount Vesuvius hasn't had a major

eruption since 1631, but it's still very active. And the discovery of the ancient ash layers, skeletons, and footprints are a warning that modern Naples, a city of 3 million people, isn't safe from the volcano after all, scientists say.

The eye wittness

It is mainly thanks to the vivid eye-witness account of the younger Pliny (a Roman administrator and poet, whose many vivid letters have been preserved), that we have some understanding of what happened. And it is through him that we can gain insight into the reactions and feelings of the people caught up in the drama of this natural catastrophe.

Mount Vesuvius facts

Height- 1277 meters (4190 feet)

Base - 48 kilometers (30 miles)

Location - Southern Italy near Naples

Age - 17,000 years old

Eruptions - Over 50 (Most Famous in 79 A.D.)

findings

Since all of the eruptions Mt. Vesuvius had, there have been many findings of things at the site. have been found there. A dog was also found there. Drinking chalices, stonework's, eye shields, and heating stoves. Almost everything found there has been preserved in good condition.

Dangers today

Mount Vesuvius is still active today. It is the only active volcano on the European mainland. Its last eruption happened in 1944. The danger is that over 2 million people live near Vesuvius and may be in danger. I think that the reason that they still live there is fertile soil.

All of the highlighted in yellow got affected in the great disaster

Pliny the youngers account

"My uncle was stationed at Miseum, in active command of the fleet. On 24 August, in the early afternoon, my mother drew his attention to a cloud of unusual size and appearance. He had been out in the sun, had taken a cold bath, and lunched while lying down, and was then working at his books. He called for his shoes and climbed up to a place which would give him the best view of the phenomenon. It was not clear at that distance from which mountain the cloud was rising (it was afterwards known to be Vesuvius); its general appearance can best be expressed as being like an umbrella pine, for it rose to a great height on a sort of trunk and then split off into branches, I imagine because it was thrust upwards by the first blast and then left unsupported as the pressure subsided, or else it was borne down by its own weight so that it spread out and gradually dispersed. In places it looked white, elsewhere blotched and dirty, according to the amount of soil and ashes it carried with it.

My uncle's scholarly acumen saw at once that it was important enough for a closer inspection, and he ordered a boat to be made ready, telling me I could come with him if I wished. I replied that I preferred to go on with my studies, and as it happened he had himself given me some writing to do. As he was leaving the house he was handed a message from Rectina who was the wife of Tascus who’s house was at the foot of the mountain, so that escape was impossible except by boat.

She was terrified by the danger threatening her and implored him to rescue her from her fate. He changed his plans, and what he had begun in a spirit of inquiry he completed as a hero. He gave orders for the warships to be launched and went on board himself with the intention of bringing help to many more people besides Rectina, for this lovely stretch of coast was thickly populated. My uncle hurried to the place where everyone was quickly leaving,

steering his course straight for the danger zone. He was entirely fearless, describing each new movement and phase of the portent to be noted down exactly as he observed them. Ashes were already falling, hotter and thicker as the ships drew near, followed by bits of pumice and blackened stones, charred and cracked by the flames: then suddenly they were in shallow water, and the shore was blocked by the debris from the mountain.. To read more please click on the hyperlinkThe Destruction of Pompeii, 79 AD.

The roman beliefs

A pliroglastic flow