History Herculaneum (Ercolano) was an ancient Roman town destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius on August 24, AD 79. It is also famous for being the source of the first Roman skeleton available to study.

Excavations Excavations ceased once Pompeii was discovered, then resumed in the twentieth century. However there are many buildings yet to be discovered. Excavations in Ercolano began in 1738 by Spanish engineer, Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre.

Skeletal remains Archaeologists first believed that the majority of the population managed to flee the area, since they hadn’t found many skeletal remains. Their opinion changed when they observed the boat houses. The „Ring Lady”

Boat houses In 1982 the excavations reached boat houses on the beach area, where several hundreds of skeletons were discovered huddled close together.

Boat houses Those people, who had taken refuge in boat houses were sheltered from the direct impact, but they instantly died when the ash and vulcanic gases reached the shore.

Specific buildings Villa of the Papyri was a private house, its remains were first excavated between 1750 and It’s named after the 1785 carbonized papyrus scrolls (the Herculaneum papyri) found in its library.

Specific buildings House Number 22

Since 1997 Herculaneum is classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Today, tourism, vandalism, and water damage is a serious issue; excavations have been temporarily discontinued, to direct all funding to help save the city. A large number of artifacts are on display in the Naples National Archaeological Museum.