A recent large-scale excavation has revealed stunning scenes from the past, including a room known as the Blue Room with vibrant female figures representing the Four Seasons and rare Egyptian blue paint. On the floor, clay jugs and oyster shells used for plaster have remained untouched since the catastrophic eruption in 79 AD. This disaster buried the city in volcanic rock and ash, freezing it in time. More than 20,000 people once lived in this affluent, thriving city. Archaeological teams are uncovering new clues about the lives of these people, revealing entire rooms like a newly discovered banquet hall with frescoes of mythical figures. Some finds, like a room with frescoes of a boy and his dog, and children's charcoal drawings, evoke a poignant connection to the past.
Vocabulary:
• A shadow (noun): A dark shape made when something blocks light.
• Ash (noun): The soft, gray powder left after something burns.
• Unearthed (verb): Found something that was buried.
• Breathtaking (adjective): Very beautiful or amazing.
• Stunning (adjective): Extremely impressive.
• A row (noun): Things placed in a line next to each other.
• Clay jugs (noun): Containers made from baked clay, used for holding liquids.
• Pommel stones (noun): Small, round stones that fall from a volcano during an eruption.
• Thriving (adjective): Doing very well; successful and healthy.
• A ceiling (noun): The top inside surface of a room.
• To giggle (verb): To laugh in a quiet and silly way.
• A fresco (noun): A painting done on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling.
• To reignite (verb): To make something start again.
• Underneath (preposition): Below or under something.
Source: TODAY YouTube channel.