The 79 CE. eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Naples, Italy completely consumed and buried the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Upon their rediscovery and subsequent excavation many hundreds of years later, archaeologists discovered an era so intimately preserved that they could read graffiti on the walls of buildings.
In the slideshows below, Dr Joanna Paul takes a closer look.
Learn more about the ancient world...
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