Oklahoman
From Marvel's mischievous Loki chasing a time traveler through it to Oklahoma City's own Flaming Lips recording a love song about it, the destruction of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii continues to capture the cultural imagination.
In 79 A.D., the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering the seaside resort town and the neighboring city of Herculaneum in devastating layers of lava, ash and rock.
But under the ruin, an unexpected upside was buried.
“The eruption preserved Roman luxury villas and homes until excavations began in the 1700s. These excavations unearthed extensive and richly colored frescoes painted on the walls of homes and public buildings throughout the cities," said Oklahoma City Museum of Art President and CEO Michael J. Anderson in an email.