Storiascopio · Era 6 of 12 · primary year 5
Pompeii buried by Vesuvius
AD 79 · Pompeii and Herculaneum, Campania
In short
In AD 79 Vesuvius, which the Romans thought was a quiet mountain, suddenly erupted. Pompeii, Herculaneum and other nearby towns were buried under metres of ash and pumice. That is exactly why the towns have survived: today you can walk along their streets and see shops, bakeries, frescoes and even writing on the walls. Pliny the Younger, who watched the eruption from a distance, described it in two famous letters.
Why it matters Pompeii is like a photograph of an ordinary Roman town, frozen in an instant.
Source: UNESCO, “Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata”
Where we are in the era “Ancient Rome”
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about 753 BCEvent 17 of 25AD 476
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/pompeii-buried-by-vesuvius/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class