Pompeii: City on Fire (42 page)

The eruption buried Pompeii under more than twelve feet of ash and pumice, and preserved so much of the city, exactly as it was on that day, that archaeologists digging 1700 years later discovered entire loaves of bread still sitting on counters, fresh from the ovens!

The plaster casts familiar to most of us from history class were created when pockets were discovered in the hardened ash—vacuums created by the decayed bodies of the volcano’s victims. The plaster was poured into these cavities, then excavated, giving us a vivid depiction of real Romans in the death throes of the eruption. I used some of these figures in
Pompeii,
and if you are interested in photos and explanations, you can find them through my Web site, NoPassportRequired.com.

Much of the details given to us in Pompeii—its graffiti, its buildings, its artwork—formed the backdrop of this novel, though for the most part the characters are from my imagination.

Over two million tourists visit Pompeii each year, and I was privileged to be one of them, during the writing of this book. To walk among the still-vivid frescoes, to stand in the center of the amphitheater, to gaze across the Forum at Vesuvius in the distance, was unforgettable. I hope you’ll join me on the web site, to read my travel journal, look at photos, and discover more about what is fact and what is fiction in
Pompeii: City on Fire.
There is much to experience in this amazing place, and I’d love to take you there,
No Passport Required!

Author, Tracy Higley, in the Forum of Pompeii with Vesuvius in the background.