HERCULANEUM EXCURSION
Herculaneum was destroyed along with Pompei in 79 AD, and was rediscovered in 1709. It was a residential town without Pompei's commercial importance, and wealthy Romans lived here.
Herculaneum was buried by a torrent of lava that hardened into a soft tufa (a kind of coarse rock) that preserved many of the wooden parts of houses and household objects, which can be seen today. A large portion of old Herculaneum is still buried under the modern town, so excavations continue.