8 Pompeii Facts for Kids

Pompeii was an ancient Roman city in southern Italy. It was a bustling city that was built at the foot of the beautiful Mount Vesuvius. It is a city frozen in time. Pompeii was thought to be constructed prior to Roman rule. The city was built up over time after the ruling power was changed to the Romans and became a vacation hot spot so to speak of the day in the first century AD.

1. It was quickly becoming a very important port city. It had beautiful stone and mortar buildings. A large amphitheater, where residents and visitors would gather for sporting events, plays and other gatherings. It also had temples, two other theaters and a highly functioning aqueduct system.

2. The first tragedy struck Pompeii in 62 AD in the form of an earthquake. Many of the buildings were damaged and it took years to rebuild. After the earthquake many residents left Pompeii and moved on to other Roman cities for fear that the earth would “shake” once again.

The Destruction

3. Pompeii is more famous today for what is left after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius than it was in its heyday. The eruption killed just about every one of the 20,000 residents of the city even though that had sought shelter inside stone and mortar buildings.

4. The heat from the eruption was enough to kill everything in its path. Pompeii was long forgotten about buried deep underneath feet of volcanic ash which acted as a preservative of sorts. In 1748 the excavation of Pompeii began and it is still be excavated today.

The Amazing Finds

5. Pompeii has held the worlds interest because of the perfectly preserved remains of this beautiful city. People were killed instantly when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. Many bodies were found carrying out their daily routines like sitting at the dinner table or working in the garden.

6. The buildings are perfectly preserved as if nothing occurred. As the remains of people and the buildings have been uncovered they have provided a firsthand look at life during this era.

7. Most of the bodies have long ago decomposed but by using resin (initially plaster) poured into the indentations in the ash lifelike cast molds have been created.

8. Most of the buildings are completely intact and many artifacts from the daily life of the residents have been uncovered over the years. Today Pompeii is one of the most visited cities in Italy attracting 2 million tourists each year.