Herculaneum was buried under volcanic ash and pumice in the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Reference no. Like the nearby city of Pompeii, Herculaneum is famous as one of the few ancient cities to be preserved nearly intact, as the ash that blanketed the town protected it against looting and the elements.

Herculaneum is a "High-Fidelity" archaeological marvel because, unlike Pompeii which was buried in falling ash, it was engulfed by a superheated pyroclastic surge that carbonized and preserved organic materials like wooden furniture, beds, doors, and even ancient food and papyrus scrolls. This unique preservation provides a much more intimate, three-dimensional look at Roman life; you can still see the original upper floors of many houses and the intricate "High-Fidelity" mosaics and marble cladding of what was once an upscale seaside retreat for the Roman elite. It is significantly smaller and less crowded than Pompeii, allowing visitors to explore the site thoroughly in a few hours. The city's human story is also uniquely told through the hundreds of skeletons found in the beachfront arched vaults (fornici), offering a poignant "High-Fidelity" look at the residents' final moments as they waited for a sea rescue that never arrived.