Pompeii Treasure

As a kid I studied the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and how the volcanic ash surprised and buried the residents of Pompeii…some like the picture at the left. Archaeologists painstakingly uncovered the “volcanic shell” which had encased the human beings that fell. Some screaming, some clutching babies, some with their dogs. It was macabre and stunning — especially to a 10 year old doing a class report.

Today brings news about Pompeii treasure and the unveiling of a silver set contained within a basket and buried in the volcanic ash from the Mt. Vesuvius eruption. It made me recall my study of this as a kid as well as sparked thoughts about what they must’ve gone through — similiar to the surprise which the tsunami victims must’ve experienced.

When I think about Pompeii citizens that lived 1,926 years ago, I wonder if any of them shared thoughts like I have today: what will I leave behind — just my kids? Have I made an impact in the world? What is my legacy? Imagine the craftsman that actually silversmithed this set revealed today and who knows, maybe they were thinking about leaving behind their silver creations. Or maybe they just had simple mundane thoughts about things we all do daily and maybe *everyone* was going about their business though the Pompeii population was estimated to be greater than 12,000 and only 2,000 ash-encased bodies have been found…so many must’ve had thoughts like, “That mountain is rumbling…let’s get the hell oughta here!”.

Here is a Wikipedia article with lots of great links about Pompeii, a virtual tour of the city and some photos from modern day.