Walking Among the Ghosts of Pompeii (20 photos)
September 4, 2013
An early port-of-call on our recent Mediterranean cruise was Naples. Nearby Pompeii was first settled in the 6th or 7th century BC by the Greeks. It was conquered by Romans in 80 BC. In 79 AD, a cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the town under 20 feet of ash and pumice.
CLICK FIRST PHOTO BELOW TO START SLIDE SHOW.
NOTE THE CAPTIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH SLIDE.
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- The population of Pompeii was about 20,000 prior to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Here Mount Vesuvius — or what’s left of it — is in background.
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- Pompeii was a port city on the Mediterranean before eruption debris filled in its harbor. Now it is several miles from the sea. The new port city is nearby Naples, with a population of over a million … all vulnerable should there ever be another eruption.
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- Pompeii had a complex water system, an amphitheatre and gymnasium.
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- The eeriest part of visiting Pompeii is walking through homes of the time and witnessing the elaborate home decor that has been painstakingly unearthed..
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- Homes were bright and colorful.
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- Elaborate murals depicted events of the time. Here, the conquerors subjugate the defeated.
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- You walk through the rooms in awe.
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- Crown molding … as our guide kept pointing out, “We invented NOTHING.”
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- Decoration was not limited to the walls. Notice the mosaic floors.
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- And the ceilings…
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- Awesome!
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- Pompeii “Main Street.” The streets were also sewers, hence the stepping stones for crossing the street.
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- A view from the current surface, showing just how deep the city was buried. And note how it extends to the horizon. That’s a lot of careful digging.
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- A panorama gives you some idea of the overall size. You’re not looking at all of it here, and much remains to be uncovered.
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- Our guide talks about the victims. Here lies one as she fell, now desiccated from the ash that covered her.
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- We booked a private guide who made history come alive for six tourists from Tucson.
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- What’s left over of Vesuvius looms in the background. The mountain is just a remnant of what it was before the eruption.
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- Sheltered storage houses artifacts discovered in Pompeii.
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- Walking among ghosts…
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- Magnificent Pompeii !
