Pompeii: Italy's Ancient Ghost Town

On Friday, February 24 my art history class took a trip down south to the lovely area where the ancient city of Pompeii lies. Needless to say, the city left me speechless. With its well preserved buildings and wall paintings and even people, it felt as if I was taking a step back in history to a time so different yet so similar to our own. Pompeii, you definitely left a lasting impression on me!

Outside the ancient amphitheater where gladiatorial events were held.

Inside the amphitheater!

A view of Mt. Vesuvius in the background of some modern crops. They are trying to make Pompeii appear just as it did in the ancient times and so they put in things like this to create a more realistic image of the ancient city.

This is actually an ancient fast food place! These counters would be attached to people's homes and they would sell food to people as they are out and about. Most of the ancient people actually ate their food outside of their home, since having an oven was a luxury.

Just some ancient ruins of someone's home.

A beautifully preserved wall painting of the goddess Venus. It is amazing to think that this painting has survived everything the city has been through and still looks so vibrant!

More wall paintings that adorned a wealthy person's home.

One of the many public drinking fountains. This is how most of the people got their water, from public fountains such as this one.

Writing outside someone's home, this could have been advertising for their business or it could have just been something about the people living inside.

Standing in the ancient theater! (With Jordan looking like a midget man on the top of my head haha).

The auditorium, where poetry and works of literature were read to large groups of people.

There are stray dogs everywhere in Pompeii! This one happened to be taking a little nap in the sun.

Now if you are wondering why there would be a preserved painting such as this, it is because this adorned the walls inside the local brothel there in Pompeii. Remember how I said a couple pictures back that wall painting and writing was used to advertise? Well just use your imagination with this one..

The forum. Breathtakingly beautiful with Mt. Vesuvius in the background!

Cannot believe these columns are still standing, it blows my mind!

The basilica, where the senate would meet.

The Temple of Apollo.

A money exchange center located in the forum.

What your view would have been looking out onto the forum thousands of years ago.

There were SO many pots and vases and other ceramics that were preserved due to the covering of lava.

Unbelievable that these things are still preserved. And that is a body in the middle of the table, not a statue.

More ceramics and a man crouching down covering his face from the ash and lava.

This is the most famous body that was preserved during the eruption. The population of Pompeii was about 20,000 but they only found about 2,000 bodies in Pompeii, meaning that a good amount of people were actually able to escape and get away.

You can see this man's skull and teeth because he was so well preserved by the covering of lava that his bones and everything were still in tact when he was excavated thousands of years later. The lava covering preserved so many things because of how it dried so quickly around the things it covered. It is amazing to see these things and think that this man was alive during the eruption!

The decorations that were on the ceiling of the main bath house. Bath houses were a place to relax and get clean, sort of like a modern day spa.

Original mosaic that was in an entryway of a wealthy home.

What a view!

This is an umbrella pine tree and they are everywhere here in Italy! One of the eye witness accounts of the eruption says that when the mountain was spewing rock and ash and lava it looked just like one of these trees, which is why although Pompeii is not the closest to Vesuvius it got hit first, because the debris flew so far away.

Me with the ancient city in the background!

This area, the Bay of Naples area, has been so loved by the people of Italy and it is why it has always been so crowded and populated. After visiting and seeing the area, I can see why!

Detail, detail, and more detail! The Romans never left anything undone or unadorned.

Such brilliant wall paintings that were preserved in a villa just outside the city boundaries of Pompeii.

Ancient graffiti!

These were the biggest lemons I had ever seen! I am not even exaggerating when I say that these lemons were as big as my head!