вЂњWe see signs of serious social strife that emerged during this period,вЂќ says Ortman. Ortman says that we see marks of the implosion of a successful society likely due to an extended drought that wreaked havoc, causing a war amongst the people. The civilization flourished until just before the 14th century. This showed a society that wasnвЂ™t simply getting by, but relishing in culture and the arts. вЂњThe textile arts were also richly decorated along with finely woven sandals.вЂќ вЂњThe virtuosity and colorings of the paintings on their pottery is really quite beautiful,вЂќ says Ortman. The dwellings and architecture of these fine stone homes would still be considered impressive today, but for Scott Ortman, an anthropologist at the University of Colorado, more magnificent still was the art they left behind. The structures within range in size from one to 150 rooms, and housed this group of largely subsistence farmers. 5 in the southwestern deserts of present day Colorado, a robust population of over 3,000 ancestral Puebloans carved some of the most intricate cliff dwellings found in North America. The city was also known for being particularly cosmopolitan with residents that may have traveled to Egypt on holidays, which, says Barrett, is depicted in elaborate mosaics inside wealthy Pompeiian homes. Barrett says this is important to uncovering daily life in the ancient city because the gardens were both a вЂњplace of production and a place of recreation.вЂќ Soil samples show grape and olive plants were often cultivated at the site likely by skilled slaves.

SheвЂ™s currently working with a team to excavate the gardens surrounding a Pompeiian home. вЂњThese are visceral reminders, not just of the pain of their final moments, but also of their basic humanity,вЂќ says Barrett.Д«ut before the death and destruction of that horrifying day, Barrett says that Pompeii would have been a bustling, wealthy city to call home. Nearly 2,000 bodies have been found in ancient Pompeii, often in the midst of their final struggles for life. Barrett, an archeologist with Cornell University whoвЂ™s spent time excavating at several sites in Pompeii, the remains mostly teach us about our own humanity. The city is one of the most important archeological sites in the world because layers of ash precisely preserved the once-lively city - and its inhabitants - beneath. 79, the thriving city of Pompeii near present day Naples, Italy, was buried under the poisonous gases and molten rubble of Mount Vesuvius.

Hidden ancient cities