The destruction and excavation of Pompeii

When did Mount Vesuvius erupt?

• Sometime between 44 and 45 BC

• One afternoon in the summer of AD 29.

• One night in the late summer or fall of AD 79.

Why was the eruption unexpected?

• It had been an inactive volcano for many centuries.

• Earthquakes were a common feature in this area of the world

• People felt the gods were happy

What specifically happened to Herculaneum?

• It was swallowed by a huge mass of mud.

• Vast quantities of ash descended on it, burying it.

• It was destroyed by fire when volcanic lava came close to the wooden framework of houses

Why did some decide to remain behind instead of fleeing?

• False; everyone evacuated

• They were hoping that the storm would pass

• They didn't see any lava; nothing could hurt them

What did the area look like the next day?

• A ruined collapsed town.

• A low hill with a few columns.

• A desert of white ash.

What happened to Pompeii in the years after?

• The site was covered by a hill, which caused treasure-seeking looters over the next 100 years

• People thought the area was cursed and nobody wanted to rebuild.

• The site was abandoned, nobody knew exactly where the town lay, and most did not care

Who rediscovered the lost city of Pompeii?

• King of Naples, Charles III, is given credit as the first to set eyes upon it

• A man digging a water channel from the river Sarno to a nearby town first stumbled upon it

• A famous politician named Pompeius found the home of his ancestor

Why were excavations more difficult at Herculaneum?

• The most fragile or precious objects were difficult to move

• Nobody had been exploring there

• The volcanic mud had turned to hard rock

The image shows evidence of human remains. What is the most accurate way to describe the remains?

• A plaster cast

• A fossil of bones

• A mummy

Excavations at Pompeii are now_____

• ongoing

• completed