First, Pompeii was not originally a Roman city; it was founded by the Oscans in the 6th or 7th century BC before being occupied by Romans centuries later. Second, recent charcoal inscriptions discovered in 2025/2026 suggest the eruption of Vesuvius occurred in mid-October 79 AD, not August as previously believed. Third, the city features the oldest perfectly preserved amphitheater in the world, built in 70 BC. Fourth, Pompeii was a high-tech city for its time, featuring a complex system of one-way streets and raised "crosswalk" stepping stones to keep pedestrians' feet dry from rainwater and debris. Fifth, the ruins were "lost" for over 1,500 years until being accidentally rediscovered in 1599 during the construction of an underground canal, leading to over 250 years of continuous archaeological unearthing.