Herculaneum
Location: 40.806° N, 14.348° E
Herculaneum, located in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius,
was an ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic
pyroclastic flows in 79 AD. Its ruins are located in the
commune of Ercolano, Campania, Italy. The catastrophic
eruption of Mt. Vesuvius occurred on the afternoon of 24
August 79 AD. Because Vesuvius had been dormant for
approximately 800 years, it was no longer even recognized
as a volcano. At around 1pm on 24 August, Vesuvius
erupts, sending a tall mushroom cloud of superheated rock
and gas over 20 kilometres into the sky. The prevailing
winds at the time blew toward the southeast, causing the
volcanic material to fall primarily on the city of Pompeii and
the surrounding area. Since Herculaneum lay to the west of
Vesuvius, it was only mildly affected by the first phase of the
eruption. While roofs in Pompeii collapsed under the weight
of falling debris, only a few centimetres of ash fell on
Herculaneum, causing little damage but nonetheless
prompting most inhabitants to flee. During the following night, the eruptive column which had risen into the stratosphere
collapsed onto Vesuvius and its flanks. The first pyroclastic surge, formed by a mixture of ash and hot gases, billowed
through the mostly evacuated town of Herculaneum at 160 km/h (100 mph). A succession of six flows and surges
buried the city's buildings, causing little damage and preserving structures, objects and victims almost intact. Until the
1980s, very few bodies had been found in the houses of Herculaneum, leading to speculation that the majority of the
city’s inhabitants had escaped. However, in 1982, when excavations of the seafront began, the skeletons of more than
300 people were found in and around a series of vaulted chambers down by the seafront. The grisly discovery revealed
that many of the people of the city had fled to the harbour in hope of rescue. But whether on the beach, where some of
the bodies were found, or in the vaults they found no protection from the extreme heat of the pyroclastic surges, and
their bodies were stripped to the bone. After the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, the town of Herculaneum was
buried under approximately 20 metres (50–60 feet) of ash. It lay hidden and largely intact until discoveries from wells
and underground tunnels became gradually more widely known, and notably following the Prince d'Elbeuf's
explorations in the early 1700s. Excavations continued sporadically up to the present and today many streets and
buildings are visible, although over 75% of the town remains buried. Today, the Italian towns of Ercolano and Portici lie
on the approximate site of Herculaneum. (Wikipedia)
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Ercolano, 13.10.2015
was an ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic
pyroclastic flows in 79 AD. Its ruins are located in the
commune of Ercolano, Campania, Italy. The catastrophic
eruption of Mt. Vesuvius occurred on the afternoon of 24
August 79 AD. Because Vesuvius had been dormant for
approximately 800 years, it was no longer even recognized
as a volcano. At around 1pm on 24 August, Vesuvius
erupts, sending a tall mushroom cloud of superheated rock
and gas over 20 kilometres into the sky. The prevailing
winds at the time blew toward the southeast, causing the
volcanic material to fall primarily on the city of Pompeii and
the surrounding area. Since Herculaneum lay to the west of
Vesuvius, it was only mildly affected by the first phase of the
eruption. While roofs in Pompeii collapsed under the weight
of falling debris, only a few centimetres of ash fell on
Herculaneum, causing little damage but nonetheless
prompting most inhabitants to flee. During the following night, the eruptive column which had risen into the stratosphere
collapsed onto Vesuvius and its flanks. The first pyroclastic surge, formed by a mixture of ash and hot gases, billowed
through the mostly evacuated town of Herculaneum at 160 km/h (100 mph). A succession of six flows and surges
buried the city's buildings, causing little damage and preserving structures, objects and victims almost intact. Until the
1980s, very few bodies had been found in the houses of Herculaneum, leading to speculation that the majority of the
city’s inhabitants had escaped. However, in 1982, when excavations of the seafront began, the skeletons of more than
300 people were found in and around a series of vaulted chambers down by the seafront. The grisly discovery revealed
that many of the people of the city had fled to the harbour in hope of rescue. But whether on the beach, where some of
the bodies were found, or in the vaults they found no protection from the extreme heat of the pyroclastic surges, and
their bodies were stripped to the bone. After the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, the town of Herculaneum was
buried under approximately 20 metres (50–60 feet) of ash. It lay hidden and largely intact until discoveries from wells
and underground tunnels became gradually more widely known, and notably following the Prince d'Elbeuf's
explorations in the early 1700s. Excavations continued sporadically up to the present and today many streets and
buildings are visible, although over 75% of the town remains buried. Today, the Italian towns of Ercolano and Portici lie
on the approximate site of Herculaneum. (Wikipedia)
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click on pictures to enlarge
Ercolano, 13.10.2015