In 79 AD, the Roman city of Pompeii was engulfed in heat (up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit) and ash (up to 20 feet deep) when the nearby volcano at Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupted violently. The city ceased to exist overnight and it was not rediscovered until over 1,700 years later.
Though the ruined city today has still not been fully excavated, over 1,100 bodies have been found, including those of dogs and horses. They were mostly found in small groups huddled together at the moment of death. Husbands and wives can be seen holding one another, while frightened lovers tightly embrace and small children desperately cling to their parents.