8 things you probably did not know about Pompeii

Roman historian and archaeologist Dr. Joanne Berry shares eight lesser-known Pompeii facts.

1) Pompeii is not frozen in time, nor is it a perfect time-capsule. The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 caused vast damage – fires were started, rooftops were swept away, columns collapsed. Most of the inhabitants of the town escaped into the surrounding countryside (although we have no idea how many of those died there). They took with them small valuables, like coins and jewellery, and lamps. Organic materials, like sheets, blankets, clothes, curtains, were mostly destroyed. In the years and centuries after the eruption, salvagers explored Pompeii, tunnelling through walls and removing valuable objects. The earliest formal excavations in the 18th century were little more than treasure-hunting exercises, which means that records of finds are poor or non-existent. There is also evidence that some finds, such as wall-paintings and pottery, were deliberately destroyed by the excavators because they were not considered to be of high enough quality! All these factors make Pompeii a challenging site to study – much like most other archaeological sites. See pictures and read the complete article at -- http://www.historyextra.com/article/international-history/8-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-pompeii%20