Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata

Of these three ancient settlements, the most renowned is unquestionably Pompeii. One of Italy's most popular tourist attractions, Pompeii is famous for its wealth of buildings, bodies and artefacts, which were trapped and preserved in volcanic ash nearly 2,000 years ago. Having been a port for Greek and Phoenician sailors, as well as held by both the Etruscans and the Romans, Pompeii bears the marks of the different cultures that encountered it. Recent excavations have uncovered Etruscan inscriptions and a necropolis dating from the 6th century BC.

However, perhaps the most striking thing about Pompeii is the little personal details which research has uncovered about the lives of its people, whose existences were frozen forever at the moment the town was buried. Latin graffitti extols the virtues of various prostitutes, wine jars have been found bearing the marketing slogan 'Vesuvinum' (a conflation of Vesuvius and the Latin name for wine, 'vinum') and the premises of a trading company owned by two partners still bears the inscription 'Salve lucru' (welcome, money). Details about day-to-day lif in Pompeii can also be gleaned from the many well-preserved frescoes, many of which have erotic themes.

Images

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