In ancient times, Pompeii was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire. Its 20,000 inhabitants lived in the shadow of Vesuvius, which they believed was a mountain. But Vesuvius was an active volcano, and within twenty-four hours of its eruption, the city was destroyed. Hundreds of years later, archaeologists unearthed what was buried under the rubble. The most unexpected and extraordinary discovery? The imprints of Pompeiians, their deaths captured as if by photographic images in volcanic ash. AGES: 10 to 12 AUTHOR: James M. Deem is the author of numerous books for young readers, including 3 NB of Julian Drew, Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Rediscovery of the Past, and Faces From the Past.