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Pompeii

The man in his 30s was found just outside Pompeii's gates.

New Research

This Man Fled Pompeii as Mount Vesuvius Erupted. Archaeologists Found Him 2,000 Years Later, Holding a Bowl to Protect His Head and a Lamp to Light His Way

Recent excavations revealed two skeletons just outside the ancient city’s walls. Researchers also created an A.I.-generated reconstruction of one of the victim’s harrowing final moments

This rendering shows what a polybolos might have looked like aimed at Pompeii's northern city walls.

Long Before Machine Guns, Ancient Roman Troops Used This 2,000-Year-Old Rapid-Fire Weapon in Pompeii, New Research Suggests

Ancient Roman forces may have used the polybolos to quell a rebellion at Pompeii in 89 B.C.E. The unique weapon was likely developed by a Greek engineer centuries earlier

A new study is the first to “pinpoint which fragrances were actually burned in Pompeian domestic cult practices,” archaeologist Johannes Eber says.

What Did Ancient Pompeians Burn as Offerings to Their Gods? New Research Reveals the Surprising Answer

An analysis of incense burners discovered in the doomed city identified traces of resin imported from sub-Saharan Africa or Asia, testifying to Pompeii’s extensive trade networks

Fifteen amphorae were found inside the Blue Room.

New Research

The Brilliant Blue Paint Covering This Lavish Room in Ancient Pompeii May Have Cost More Than Half the Annual Salary of a Roman Foot Soldier

Researchers have estimated how much the home’s owners may have paid to paint the small sacrarium, calculating the price of the Egyptian blue pigment and the hours of labor required to prepare it

One of the plaster casts on display in the new exhibition

Haunting Casts Preserving Pompeii Victims’ Final Moments 2,000 Years Ago Go on Display in a Solemn New Exhibition

Since 1863, archaeologists have made more than 100 plaster casts, which show how victims died after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E. A new exhibition displays 22 of the best-preserved examples

New research is providing unique insights into the love notes, drawings, jokes and political commentary scratched into the ancient city's walls.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Say They’ve Identified Traces of a 2,000-Year-Old Love Note Still Etched Into a Wall in Ancient Pompeii

Advanced imaging technology has revealed 79 new pieces of graffiti on a wall in the city’s theater district. Until now, these inscriptions had been too faint for the human eye to see

Researchers investigated Pompeii's water system, including the "water castle" pictured here, which served as the water distribution structure for Pompeii's aqueduct. 

New Research

The Public Baths of Ancient Pompeii Were Actually Pretty Gross—Until the Romans Built an Aqueduct

Hygienic conditions were poor in the city’s older bathing facilities, a new study reveals. The analysis sheds light on Pompeii’s water systems and residents’ bathing habits

Tour guides will livestream walk-throughs of the underground space, adorned with mosaic floors and colorful wall frescoes.

New Livestream Tour Takes Tourists Underneath Rome Into Never-Before-Seen ‘House of Griffins’

Beginning in March, visitors can virtually explore the 2,000-year-old subterranean dwelling, open to the public for the first time

Archaeologists unearthed a fresco depicting a peahen that mirrors a peacock found on another part of the same wall.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover ‘Sumptuous’ Frescoes at Ancient Villa Preserved by Mount Vesuvius’ Eruption

Fragments of a peahen, a comedic theatrical mask and other intriguing finds are providing new insights into the history of the Villa of Poppaea

Fascinating finds unveiled in 2025 ranged from an Auguste Rodin sculpture to a ring bearing the likeness of the goddess Venus Victrix.

Cool Finds

Seventy-Two Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2025, From a Luxury Spa in Pompeii to a Pair of World War I Messages in a Bottle

The year’s most exciting discoveries included the site where a young George Washington stopped a friendly fire incident, the missing torso of a Buddha statue and a hidden Picasso painting

Llorenç Alapont, an archaeologist at the University of Valencia, led the recent research on plaster casts of Pompeii victims. 

New Research

If Mount Vesuvius Erupted in August, Why Were Pompeii Victims Wearing Heavy Wool Garments?

New research finds that at least four individuals who died in the eruption were wearing woolen tunics and cloaks, which raises questions about the presumed date of the famous catastrophe

Graffiti scribbled on a wall in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii

Pompeii’s Graffiti Captures Every Joke, Boast and Argument of an Ancient Roman City Frozen in Time

The roughly 11,000 inscriptions preserved by Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 C.E. offer a glimpse into everyday life in the Roman Empire

The researchers based their conclusions on an intact ancient construction site found at Pompeii.

New Research

This Ancient Construction Site in the Ruins of Pompeii Is Revealing New Secrets About the 2,000-Year-Old Recipe for Roman Concrete

New research suggests the Romans used a method known as “hot mixing” to produce self-healing concrete, which allowed them to build structures that endured for centuries

The "digital twin" of the House of Thiasus, with a reconstructed wooden ceiling

New Research

Ancient Pompeii’s Elite May Have Built Lavish Towers on Top of Their Villas. Here’s What They May Have Looked Like

Digital reconstructions are bringing structures to life that may have collapsed during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 C.E. Researchers think these towers symbolized their owners’ wealth and influence

Archaeologists think the bench may have been used by visitors who came to meet with the villa's owner.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Pompeii Discover Ancient Bench Where Hopeful Clients Waited to Be Seen by an Elite Roman

The seat is across from the entrance to the Villa of the Mysteries, a large property full of beautiful frescoes located just outside the ancient city’s walls

Italian officials with the five stones and brick fragment

Italian Police Catch Tourist Stealing Stones From the Ancient City of Pompeii

According to legend, travelers who remove artifacts from the historic Italian city are cursed to endure hardship. Many have even returned the stolen items years later

Insula Meridionalis, the neighborhood in ancient Pompeii where the excavations were conducted

Cool Finds

After Mount Vesuvius Erupted, Pompeii’s Poorest Survivors Lived Amid the Rubble of the Ancient City for Hundreds of Years

Some residents who couldn’t afford to resettle elsewhere returned to the city, where they occupied the upper floors of buildings that had been buried in ash, according to new research

The ancient artwork is now on display at Pompeii.

Ancient Erotic Mosaic Stolen From Pompeii During World War II Finally Returns Home

A Nazi captain gave artwork, which depicts an intimate Roman romance, to a civilian. When he died, his heirs decided to return the piece to Italy

The garden features a reconstructed shaded alcove for dining.

The 2,000-Year-Old ‘Perfume Garden’ in the Ancient City of Pompeii Has Been Restored to Its Former Glory

The small garden now features thousands of roses, violets, cherry trees and vines. Experts think a perfumer may have once used the plants to experiment with new scents

Frescoes, statues, graffiti and other artifacts show the many roles and rituals of Roman womanhood.

What Was Daily Life Like for the Women Who Lived in Ancient Pompeii 2,000 Years Ago?

A new exhibition is spotlighting the women who have long been sidelined in histories of the Roman Empire—from mothers and weavers to entrepreneurs and influential tavern owners

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