Pompei is situated to the southwest of Mt. Vesuvius. It was a thriving commercial and trading center, specializing in the production and export of many products. Because it was close to the Bay of Naples it served as a main seaport along the coast. The estimated population may have been as much as 20,000.

The eruption of 79 A. D. began on the 24th of August and lasted for three days and nights. Ash rained down, covering everything and everyone. While lava and mud covered Herculaneum, ash piled high in Pompei and people died of asphyxiation. The excavations have proved easier at Pompei because of this material difference.

The museum of archaeology in Naples is a giant storehouse of things taken from Pompei which show every aspect of life there. There were medical instruments, cooking utensils, mosaics, frescoes, statues, and everyday objects. Some of those are in the photographs in the Napoli gallery.

The pictures here show some of the excavations -- the area is immense.