Pompeii’s second life

A photo provided by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii showing an overhead view of the Insula Meridionalis, which forms the southwestern edge of the city of Pompeii. — The New York Times

OF all apocalyptic tales, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79 ranks among the most dramatic.

The inferno, which volcanologists estimate raged for 32 hours, transformed the bustling Roman resort town of Pompeii into a ghost city – scorched, suffocated and buried under drifts of ash up to 9m high.