Ash analysis, Pompeii. Researcher taking samples of ash from the ruins of a partially excavated house in the Roman city of Pompeii. Located in the Bay of Naples, Italy, this city was ruined and buried under thick layers of ash during an eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in 79 AD. The city was rediscovered and excavated in the 18th and 19th centuries, revealing much about the Roman way of life. The remains and impressions of over 1000 victims of the eruption have been found within the ash deposits. Excavations continue today, and the site is a tourist destination visited by millions every year.