[Information adapted from the following websites: http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~jjd5t/cww/1997/report2.html; http://www.jccc.net/~jjackson/pomp.html;http://emuseum.mnsu.edu/archaeology/sites/europe/pompeii.html:http://www.letus.northwestern.edu/projects/esp/top10/vesuviuspage/vesuvius.html

• The population of Pompeii was approximately 8,000 to 12,000 people.
• Consisted of atrium houses, lower class residential and commercial structures, public baths, a basilica, theaters, temples, vineyards and gardens, and the location of several of the major public buildings
• On the 24th of August, 79 A.D., volcanic ash spews from Mt. Vesuvius. Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum disappear from the face of the earth. Gradually grass and vines cover the land where the town stood. The local people eventually forget even the name of the buried town.
• Roman public bath was like a country club. For a small sum, it was a place to meet friends, go to the gym,play a few games, have a good meal, and spend a bit of time in a succession of cold, tepid, warm or hot baths.
• The first warning sign of Mt. Vesuvius came on February 5th, A.D. 62. About midday, a "long, muffled roar" shook the town; nobody could tell what it was, or where it had come from. Soon the earth began to tremble, and buildings collapsed all around. People rushed out of the town and away from the falling buildings, only to fall prey to deep chasms that ripped open the countryside without warning. The town's nearby reservoir also broke, adding floods to the chaotic scene. Though it was destructive, the first earthquake lasted for only a moment; an hour later, however, the area was seized by another tremor. The quakes continued to occur at unpredictable intervals, inflicting alternate moods of hysteria and hope, until nightfall.
• Signs of the upcoming eruption began at the beginning of August in A.D. 79. Small tremors shook the ground, but the quakes were so insignificant and caused so little damage that few paid any attention to them. Springs and wells also dried up, which in ancient times was often interpreted as a sign of the gods' displeasure.

  On August 20th, the earth began to rumble and crack, and the usually calm sea gave way to giant waves. Horses, cattle and birds became uneasy and restless, as if they could foresee the disaster that awaited the town. Finally, on the morning of August 24th, 79 A. D. the volcano burst open with an earsplitting crack. Smoke, mud, flames and burning stones spewed from the summit of the mountain, sending a rain of ash and rock through the surrounding countryside. The mud seeped down the sides of Vesuvius, swallowing nearby farms, orchards and villas. Adding to the destruction were the mephitic vapors that accompanied the falling debris; the fumes first caused deliriousness in their victims, then suffocated them.

  Some people of Pompeii grabbed their beasts of burden and attempted to flee the area; others perhaps chose to wait until the streets were clear of the panicked masses; still others sealed themselves up in rooms, supposing that the ashes and poisonous gasses would not harm them there. The unfortunate people who could not escape in time to avoid disaster were killed by falling buildings, overcome by the mephitic gas, or simply buried by the rapidly falling ash. Their bodies were quickly covered by the volcano's mineral deposits, which covered Pompeii in a layer more than 30 feet thick.

• This cataclysmic eruption buried two roman cities where they stood. People and artifacts are frozen in time: Murals on the walls, families sharing a meal, a baby in a cradle, a dog chained to a post, fresh baked bread in the oven, and tools left on the ground. Both cities are now perfectly preserved archeological museums. Despite the detail, few human remains were found within either city. Archeologists speculated that many had escaped the wrath of Vesuveus. In 1982, near the ancient sea wall, hundreds of skeletons of men, women and children were found huddled together as they had died almost two thousand years ago.

From Volcano! by Cynthia Pratt Nicholson

People in the roman town of Pompeii were puzzled when they awoke on the morning of August 24, A.D. 79. Why was the sky so dark?

Stepping outside, they found their answer. Fine ash was falling on the streets and buildings. There was so much of it that it blocked the sun. Mount Vesuvius had slumbered peacefully near the town for 800 years. But now it was erupting!

People were confused. Should they hide indoors, or run for their lives? Some fled to the harbor and climed into boats. Others hid in cellars or struggled to gather thier possessions and pets. Suddenly, the mountainn blasted out an avalanche of super-hot gas and ash. Those who stayed behind were killed instantly as scorching hot air filled their lungs and burned their skin. Over the next few hours, Pompeii was completely buried beneath volcanic ash. The grisly scene would lie undistrubed for nearly 1800 years.