Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum

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In AD 79, the Bay of Naples was devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, burying Pompeii, Herculaneum, and surrounding areas under pumice and ash. This eruption is one of history's most recognized volcanic events, leaving behind invaluable archaeological evidence of daily life in the Roman Empire. The book offers a vivid exploration of the lives of Pompeii and Herculaneum's inhabitants, using full-color photographs of over 200 excavated artifacts, from a soldier's sword to a shopkeeper's blue glass bottle. Paul Roberts, a British Museum curator, brings these individuals back to life, examining every room in a typical Roman home. Readers will discover bronze busts and mosaics in the entrance, frescoes and silver cups in the dining room, a carbonized cradle and a birth certificate in the bedroom, and cooking pots in the kitchen. The book also discusses various shops, from bakeries to taverns, and reconstructs the eruption using archaeological and geological evidence, alongside Pliny the Younger's eyewitness account. With stunning photographs of celebrated artifacts and recent finds, this work captures both the public and private lives of real Roman families.