Full title: August 24th 79 AD is the believed date that the City of Pompeii was covered in meters of volcanic ash, after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Thanks to Giuseppe Fiorelli we can see some of their last moments.

Context: These aren’t petrified bodies. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the victims were buried under ash. Over time their bodies decomposed and left hollow spaces in the ash. Archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli realized you could pour plaster of paris into these holes to make a perfect mold of the person’s final pose. That’s why we have these creepy but fascinating casts today. It’s like a 3D snapshot of a Roman’s last moment.