Ancient Pompeii is one of those places that people today find endlessly intriguing.  This Roman city, a prosperous vacation destination on the Bay of Naples, was completely destroyed on August 24, 79 when Mount Vesuvius  erupted and buried Pompeii and several other town in the area under volcanic ash and pyroclastic material.  Rediscovered in the 1700s the excavation of Pompeii continues today, revealing its hidden secrets in spectacular fashion. A traveling exhibition of a few hundred artifacts from Pompeii (and nearby Herculaneum which was also destroyed by the eruption) is making its way around the United States and is presently…