Archaeologists announced on Wednesday, August 6, that new excavations at Pompeii show evidence of resettlement after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. The findings suggest that people returned to live among the ruins, forming a temporary colony in the devastated city.
“Thanks to the new excavations, the picture is now clearer: post-79 Pompeii reemerges, less as a city than as a precarious and grey agglomeration, a kind of camp, a favela among the still-recognisable ruins of the Pompeii that once was,” said site director Gabriel Zuchtriegel.
Pompeii, once home to around 20,000 residents, was buried under volcanic ash and preserved for centuries before its rediscovery in the 16th century.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pompeii and Vesuvius are now huge tourist attractions, drawing in millions of visitors each year. Click on to find out more about this incredible volcanic site.