Herculaneum Italy

Like nearby Pompeii, Herculaneum was lost to a river of Vesuvian lava and ash in AD 79. An upper class town, home to members of the imperial family, it was uncovered about 250 years ago and remains a treasure trove for archaeologists. The pyroclastic flow that enveloped the city carbonised organic matter, preserving structures and human bodies. Most enticing, though, are the hundreds of scrolls found in the Valley of the Papyri, text from the only ancient library to have survived into modern times.