Ancient civilizations

Pompeii (Italy) & Loulan (China)

Background knowledge Pompeii Location The site of Pompeii was located in western Italy in a region called Campania, near the Bay of Naples.

Map of Pompeii

History It was first occupied in the 8th century BC. The Etruscans soon dominated the region. The Etruscan occupation lasted throughout the 5th and 6th centuries BC. After the Etruscans came the Saminites. The Saminites turned Pompeii into a pure Greek town. The Romans took control of Pompeii around 200 BC. The Romans retained control over Pompeii until the end. A timeline of events in Pompeii

Vesuvius (volcano)  On 24th August AD 79, the volcano (Vesuvius) erupted and lava, ash and rocks poured out of it onto the surrounding countryside. All the people in the city were buried alive.

Loulan: Ghost City Loulan was a stopping point on the Old Silk Road, connecting China to Europe. In its lifetime, Loulan was situated on the north shore of Lop Nor( 罗布湖 )..

Loulan was abandoned in the sixth century and was gradually covered by sandstorm. Their most significant finding was a female mummy, the "Loulan beauty" whose good looks were undiminished 1,000 years later.

Unit3 Back to the past Reading Lost Civilizations (excerpts from Ann’s travel diary) Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 10Day11

C1 How well did you understand the details in the diary? Read it again carefully and answer the following questions. 1.What happened to Pompeii in August AD 79? 2. How was the buried city discovered? Mount Vesuvius erupted and lava, ash and rocks poured out of it onto the surrounding countryside. All the people in Pompeii were buried alive, and so was the city. It was discovered in the 18th century when a farmer found some stone with writing on it. People started to dig in the area for treasure, which caused much damage. So in 1860, the Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli was made director of the Pompeii dig.

3. What were the stepping stones along the road in Pompeii used for? 4. Why was Loulan an important city about 2,000 years ago? 5. How do many people think Loulan disappeared? 6. According to the last sentence, how did the author feel about the loss of Loulan? With the stones, people did not have to step in the mud in the streets on rainy days. Because it was a stopping point on the famous Silk Road between the East and the West It was gradually covered over by sandstorms from AD 200 to AD 500. She felt that it was a pity!

RUINS OF POMPEII Stone sign temple of Jupiter

Large theater Wall paintings and mosaic floor

Ruins of Loulan