A Day in Pompeii

Yesterday we went to see an exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science with artifacts from Pompeii that were recovered when the city was excavated centuries after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. It was fascinating to see the artwork, kitchen containers and Roman plumbing of that era. I also learned there was adequate warning with earthquakes and smoke coming out of Vesuvius before the city was inundated by a pyroclastic surge. The vast majority of citizens escaped but approximately 1000 stayed and were buried in ash. Much like tsunami and hurricane warnings today, not everyone evacuates when there is a pending disaster. Some don’t want to make the effort, and others think, “It won’t happen to me.”