The forum of Pompeii has been partially restored to give the visitors
an idea of what it may have looked like before Vesuvius in the
background blew up about 79 ce. It covered the town and surrounding
area in several feet of volcanic ash while the remaining inhabitants
were killed by poisonous gases. It effectively sealed and preserved the
remnants of the city for later anthropologists. It remained buried for
almost 1700 years and wasn't rediscovered until 1748. It allowed
anthropologists to study what the lifestyle of an intact Roman town.
