 Have you guys seen the way this poor guy was killed during the legendary eruption of Mount Vesuvius? He probably never seen this coming, but it's like something straight out of a Hollywood movie in terms of the way he died. Can you imagine seeing this event in progress? The estimates are that 100,000 tons of molten magma were being ejected 20 miles into the atmosphere every second for 18 hours. Isn't that astonishing? The poor guy was just one of many thousands who perished, but there is no doubt this is one of the most spectacular skeletons on the Earth. Pompeii was simply epic. We only rediscovered this place in 1748 and the tale of a truly catastrophic event which took place here. It caught the local population utterly unprepared even though all the telltale signs would have been there to warn them. We really only know what happened here because a Roman poet named Pleni documented the events. To go forward here we must stress that this is based on one person's account and the fact is we simply don't know the circumstances as to how and when this event took place, but just wait to hear this anyway. Pleni's account leaves no doubt that everyone was caught unprepared. His uncle known as Pleni the Elder was stationed in command of the Imperial Naval Base on the northwest extremity of the Bay of Naples. He was not only the senior military officer in the district but possibly the most well informed living Roman on matters of natural science. His 37 volume natural history is the longest work on science in Latin that has survived from antiquity. But for all his science and his seniority, his nephew tells us that the Elder Pleni was relaxing after a bath and lunch when Vesuvius started to erupt and the sight of a column of smoke like an umbrella pine on the far side of the bay triggered a response more of curiosity than of alarm in him. He and his companions were eventually not anticipating such an event. The same account reveals that the signs were there. Pleni's casual reference to earth tremors, which were not particularly alarming because they are frequent in Campania, reveals the Roman's comprehensive ignorance of the link between seismic activity, earth tremors and volcanic activity. The volcanologists of today constantly monitor any changes in levels of seismic activity from the observatory on Vesuvius because they know that the same increase of activity in the deep reservoir of magma, molten or partially molten rock beneath the earth's surface, cause both earth tremors and volcanic eruptions. Through measuring seismic activity, these scientists expect to predict an approaching eruption months in advance. They also know that the activity of Vesuvius is recurrent and that the longer the intervals between one eruption and another, the greater the eventual explosion will be. The frequent but low-level activity of Vesuvius in recent centuries has revealed the buildup of pressure in the magma chamber. The catastrophic magnitude of the eruption of 8079 was connected with the extended period of inactivity that predicted it. A long interval combined with mounting seismic activity is a sure sign of impending disaster. Of course, the Romans could not know this and our own knowledge owes much to the care of Pliny's description. The long inactivity of the volcano naturally lulled the people of the region into a false sense of security, though they were aware of the signs of burning at the peak of the mountain. They were not the first to be lulled. Recent excavations at the site of the new NATO base at Guterciano on the north of the bay had revealed two catastrophic eruptions that preceded that of 79 and wiped out the population of a densely occupied territory. The most important earlier eruption known as the Avalino Pumice occurred around 1800 Several sites, especially one near Nola, revealed the destruction of Bronze Age settlements with their huts and pots and pans and livestock, but of this the Romans knew nothing. If the timeline is anything to go by, then a new eruption is only a few centuries away. In the meantime, the poor guy who had the upper half of his body obliterated with a flying rock will make for a nice photo opportunity. Maybe not. What do you guys think of this anyway? Comments below and as always, thank you for watching.