Today's volcanologists monitor changes in seismic activity levels from the observatory on Mount Vesuvius, because they know that “increased activity in deep magma deposits causes both earthquakes and earthquake eruptions ." Scientists, by measuring seismic activity, can predict an imminent eruption months in advance. They also know that Vesuvius' activity is recurrent and that "the longer the intervals between eruptions, the greater the possible explosion". The low-level activity of Vesuvius has recently relieved the pressure build-up in the magma chamber. The catastrophic eruption of 79 AD was linked to the long period of inactivity that preceded it. Too bad the Pompeians did not know how to predict the eruptions , or maybe they would have been able to evacuate right away. Imagine the black dust and deep smoke choking you and burning your clothes. Pompeii fell and you died. This was probably very similar to what the Pompeians felt and thought. The dust “poured over the earth” like a flood, one witness wrote, and had covered the city in “a darkness…like the black of closed, unlit rooms.” Unfortunately for them, the Pompeians could not know this. The volcano's long inactivity led residents of the region to think it was safe, although they were aware of signs of fire on the mountaintop. Would you have been like those people? Would you let the serene landscapes and beautiful architecture convince you to stay there? There were warnings of Vesuvius erupting, such as earthquakes. The funny part about all of this is that the Romans were interested in predicting the future and had many different ways to decipher what they saw as...the center of the card...where they looked for anything. could take as loot. Almost every room in the city buildings had holes in the walls. These were made by tunnelers and, although Pompeii contained richer finds than any other Roman site, it is a city already sacked by looters. When a group of explorers rediscovered the site in 1748, they were surprised to find that Pompeii was mostly intact. . The buildings, and nearly everything in them, were left behind. This buried city has taught us much about daily life in the ancient world since the ancient Greeks settled the area in the 8th century BC. We have learned that citizens and slaves We now have a much broader knowledge of Pompeii. We also know more about volcanoes, and it's sad that the Pompeians didn't know it. Different times led to different beliefs, and in the end, at least this way we learned more about history.