Fourteen miles southeast of modern Naples lies Pompeii, a city frozen in time by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. What was once a bustling Roman town became a sprawling graveyard, blanketed by layers of pumice and ash. Archaeological excavations began in 1748, but new research continues to reshape our understanding of life—and death—in this ancient city. The eruption annihilated Pompeii, leaving behind a chilling time capsule. Pyroclastic flows preserved not only the city’s streets, buildings, and artifacts but also the last moments of its inhabitants. Among the most haunt…