 In the year 79 AD, the ancient seaside city of Pompeii was buried beneath a mountain of volcanic ash and pumice when near by volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted furiously. More than two thousand of Pompeii s citizens lost their lives. For almost 1,700 years, until its rediscovery in 1748, Pompeii lay hidden - a city and its people suspended in time. Now we can see the streets and buildings almost as they were on the day Pompeii died - an incredible snapshot of Roman civilization in its heyday.