Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town. It was completely destroyed when the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted on 24 August, 79 AD. ^{[1] [2] [3]} Herculaneum was covered by volcanic mud during the eruption, which quickly hardened to a semi-rock material. ^[4] Herculaneum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . ^[3]

Unlike Pompeii , the deep pyroclastic material which covered it preserved most objects in its path. Archaeologists have recovered wooden and other objects such as rooves , beds, doors, and food. Some 300 skeletons were discovered along the sea shore. It was thought until then that the town had been evacuated by its inhabitants.

Herculaneum was a wealthier town than Pompeii, however it was not as famous after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. It had many fine houses with a lavish use of coloured marble cladding, mosaics and wall paintings.

References [ change | change source ]

This short article about a  place or feature can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it .