This drone video shows the scale of the ruined city of Pompeii

Almost 2,000 years ago, in the year 79, the Roman city of Pompeii was annihilated by Mount Vesuvius. Buried under ash, with many of its residents trapped and unable to escape it’s said to have killed around 2,000 people. It’s been a great source of interest ever since. Especially to archaeologists.

After centuries of excavation, much of the city has now been uncovered. It can be difficult to really grasp the scale of a city like Pompeii from the ground, though. But thanks to this 45-second drone video published by the Porta Stabia archaeological group, we can see a better overview of the area.

The group is being led by Professor Steven Ellis of the University of Cincinnati. He writes that “bringing our Pompeii excavation to publication has been hard, really hard. But maybe our drone video of our neighborhood conveys something of the scale and complexity.”

It’s a fascinating look into humanity’s history, only made possible by modern technology. It’s quite incredible just how big the city of Pompeii was. And this is only a tiny fraction of how the area looks today – as this view from Google Maps illustrates.