Background Information
The city of Pompeii was an ancient Roman town that covered a total of one hundred and seventy acres and was located on the coast of the bay of Naples in Southern Italy. Because of the city’s coastline location, the city of Pompeii was prosperous due to trading ease via the harbour for boat transportation, the fertile volcanic soils also gave the small city an advantage over other locations. Ten kilometres North-West stood Mount Vesuvius measuring at an intimidating 1281m. The volcano on the 24th of August 79BC blew its its top, though this was not the only occurrence. Mount Vesuvius erupted continuously over thousands of years, but the eruption of 79BC is known to us today as one of the most catastrophic and famous eruptions in European history. Vesuvius has been recorded erupting more than seventy times dating back to 79BC. Along with the eruption came tons of molten ash, pumice, and miles of volcanic gasses that were spewed out into the atmosphere. Poisonous vapour and an eventual twenty-five metres of molten debris showered the surrounding area blanketing the small roman city of Pompeii leaving the small population of 17,000 at nil as the areas were buried not to be stumbled upon till nearly 1748 years later by chance.
Although it is clear through examining this map the distance, the city of Herculaneum is just eight point four kilometres from Mount Vesuvius whereas the city of Pompeii is ten kilometres approximately in distance away from Vesuvius.
So why is it that the northern cities were more intensely destructed if they were further away?
Had the eruption occurred on some other day, the populace of Pompeii may have stood a better possibility of getaway. Typically the wind blew in a southwesterly heading, which would have blown the gust out over the Bay of Naples. In any case on that fateful day, the wind was blowing in a northwesterly heading directly over Pompeii - as we can note on the map resource provided. From the northern side of the Volcanic cone, molten lava travelling at one-hundred kilometres per hour hurdled towards the city of Pompeii, for this reason was the city so well preserved once excavated almost two-thousand long years later.
Mt Vesuvius was surrounded by numerous towns around the shore of the Bay of Naples, and by looking at the map its is obvious that a hefty portion of these town were affected by the eruption, and numerous destroyed. The eruption of Mt Vesuvius is tremendously significant to individuals as it has granted us with the knowledge in the matter of how life was in the Roman times, which is vital as the Roman period was barely archived. The volcanic ash that covered these urban areas has preserved the towns, the people and artefacts were all able to be saved. Things such as jewellery , vases, works of art and cash, and in addition structures, for example, the House of the Vettii and the Baths, Forum and brothels in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The eruption and the preservation of these towns is priceless as it helps us to learn and acknowledge how these people lived, and how they formed and added to the lives we live today.
So why is it that the northern cities were more intensely destructed if they were further away?
Had the eruption occurred on some other day, the populace of Pompeii may have stood a better possibility of getaway. Typically the wind blew in a southwesterly heading, which would have blown the gust out over the Bay of Naples. In any case on that fateful day, the wind was blowing in a northwesterly heading directly over Pompeii - as we can note on the map resource provided. From the northern side of the Volcanic cone, molten lava travelling at one-hundred kilometres per hour hurdled towards the city of Pompeii, for this reason was the city so well preserved once excavated almost two-thousand long years later.
Mt Vesuvius was surrounded by numerous towns around the shore of the Bay of Naples, and by looking at the map its is obvious that a hefty portion of these town were affected by the eruption, and numerous destroyed. The eruption of Mt Vesuvius is tremendously significant to individuals as it has granted us with the knowledge in the matter of how life was in the Roman times, which is vital as the Roman period was barely archived. The volcanic ash that covered these urban areas has preserved the towns, the people and artefacts were all able to be saved. Things such as jewellery , vases, works of art and cash, and in addition structures, for example, the House of the Vettii and the Baths, Forum and brothels in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The eruption and the preservation of these towns is priceless as it helps us to learn and acknowledge how these people lived, and how they formed and added to the lives we live today.