Pompeii was a bustling, vibrant ancient Roman brothel city, built near the volcano Vesuvius. It was destroyed and buried under ash and lava when Vesuvius was subjected to a pyroclastic flow eruption in AD 79. It is believed that the eruption was so intense that the side of the mountain blew off engulfing all the surrounding area within minutes, giving people in its path no chance of escape. .
The ruins are remarkably well preserved and there are many artefacts at the Naples museum now. The bodies are casts of people filled in with plaster but they have been placed where the people fell, dying in agony.
It was a very moving visit and a must if you ever go to Italy. The picture above shows Vesuvius in the background.
All the things you see in these photos was covered for nearly two thousand years in ash and debris.