In the year 79 AD, the ancient seaside city of Pompeii was buried beneath a mountain of volcanic ash and pumice when near by volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted furiously. More than two thousand of Pompeii's citizens lost their lives. For almost 1,700 years, until its rediscovery in 1748, Pompeii lay hidden - a city and its people suspended in time. Now we can see the streets and buildings almost as they were on the day Pompeii died - an incredible snapshot of Roman civilization in its heyday.