The discoveries at Rome and Pompeii are some of the most significant and representative sources of evidence that we have of life in the Roman Empire.
Pompeii was a Roman city that was buried under volcano ashes and debris following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Rome, on the other hand, was the capital of the empire and it has been continually inhabited for centuries.
Thanks to these discoveries we have learned a lot about Ancient Rome. For example, we have been able to find out about the citizens' main economic activities, their diet, the way they built their houses and the type of art they used to decorate them with. We have also found out about their family life and their leisure activities.
Many things are different between life in Rome and Pompeii and life nowadays. For example, most people in the past worked in agriculture, which was their main source of sustenance. While a lot of people still work in that industry today, most people work in the service industry in cities. Houses are built with different materials and are generally larger and more stable. Also, topics that are represented in their art are now taboo in our society.
