Along with Herculaneum , Stabiae , and many surrounding villas , the city was buried under 4 to 6 m 13 to 20 ft of volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Largely preserved under the ash, Pompeii offers a unique snapshot of Roman life , frozen at the moment it was buried, [ 1 ] as well as insight into ancient urban planning.
Organic remains, including wooden objects and human bodies, were interred in the ash; their eventual decay allowed archaeologists to create moulds of figures in their final moments of life. The numerous graffiti carved on outside walls and inside rooms provide a wealth of examples of the largely lost Vulgar Latin spoken colloquially at the time, contrasting with the formal language of classical writers. Following its destruction, Pompeii remained largely undisturbed until its rediscovery in the late 16th century.
Major excavations did not begin until the midth century, which marked the emergence of modern archeology ; [ 5 ] initial efforts to unearth the city were haphazard or marred by looting, resulting in many items or sites being damaged or destroyed. Since , these efforts have led to new discoveries in some previously unexplored areas of the city. According to Theodor Kraus, "The root of the word Pompeii would appear to be the Oscan word for the number five, pompe , which suggests that either the community consisted of five hamlets or perhaps it was settled by a family group gens Pompeia.
Pompeii was built approximately 40 m ft above sea level on a coastal lava plateau created by earlier eruptions of Mount Vesuvius 8 km or 5 mi distant. The plateau fell steeply to the south and partly to the west into the sea.
Three layers of sediment from large landslides lie on top of the lava, perhaps triggered by extended rainfall. The mouth of the navigable Sarno River , adjacent to the city, was protected by lagoons and served early Greek and Phoenician sailors as a haven port, later developed by the Romans.
