Killed on duty
When the American writer Mark Twain visited Pompeii ,he was most impressed by the remains of a soldier who had stayed at his post “till the hell that raged around him burned out the dauntless spirit it could not conquer.”
Mother and child
This mother was trying to shield her child when they were overcome by the searing ash and gas. They were found together with several other families in the Garden of the Fugitives.
Health warning
This skeleton mosaic found near Pompeii is a memento mori, a reminder of death. The figure is carrying wine jugs, perhaps to warn Romans of the dangers of drinking.
Fiorelli takes detailed notes while supervising an excavation.
Pyroclastic flow deposit.
Pyroclastic surge deposits.
Ash and lapilli.