Sheep come to the rescue of Pompeii ruins

Sheep graze the grass as part of an initiative to protect ancient ruins from growing green in unexcavated areas of the archaeological site in Pompeii, Italy, March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

POMPEII, Italy (Reuters) - A flock of grazing sheep is helping archaeologists to preserve the ancient ruins of Pompeii, the Roman city that was buried under metres of pumice and ash in the calamitous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

Archaeologists have uncovered only around two thirds of the 66-hectare (163 acres) site at Pompeii since excavations began 250 years ago.