This past year, I know of two people who went to Pompeii to see the ruins. Both were extremely impressed with what they saw. For those who can't get there to see the sights first-hand, check out Pompeii: The Vanished City (937.7 POM).
If you're not familiar with the history of Pompeii, it's an old Roman city located by Mt. Vesuvius, a volcano. In AD 79 Mt. Vesuvius exploded so violently and swiftly that it buried the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii with the people still in it.
Workers in the winter of 1767-68 came upon dozens of skeletons, but it wasn't until the middle of the 1800s that researchers got serious with excavating the 10 to 20 feet of debris covering Pompeii. What they found was absolutely chilling: adult figures clutching babies, animals chained up animals prevented from escaping death, and just baked bread still in the ovens.
The beauty of their architecture can still be seen, with their large murals in paint and mosaic on the floors and walls.
Even if you don't wish to read the text, Pompeii is still worth checking out just for the gruesome photographs.
c Waterloo Public Library 2008
No comments:
Post a Comment