Today the ruins of Pompeii are extremely fragile. Over the years, this site has been hit by multiple earthquakes, bombs during World War II (1939-1945), and countless floods. In recent years, heavy rainfall has put Pompeii’s delicate buildings at risk of crumbling.
The good news is that an ambitious $145 million project is underway to preserve the ruins and continue excavations. (At least one-third of Pompeii is still buried.) It’s called the Great Pompeii Project, and since it began in 2012, much progress has been made.
Archaeologists recently shared their discoveries of a fresco featuring what looks to be a pizza. They also uncovered a bakery-prison where donkeys and enslaved men were made to live and work milling flour for bread.
“In the past, people were mostly fascinated by the rich,” says Steven Ellis, one of the archaeologists at Pompeii. But he says these days researchers are focusing on the lives of Pompeii’s ordinary residents—and they have many questions.
How diverse was Pompeii? What was life like for the city’s enslaved people? For children? For persons with disabilities?
“You walk over it, and you know that underneath your feet, there’s still so much that future generations will be able to discover,” says Ellis.
What secrets has Pompeii yet to reveal?