---
title: From Ashes to Awe
date: 2024-09-24T06:00:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/from-ashes-to-awe"
section: Articles
---
# From Ashes to Awe

*September 24, 2024* — by [Sala Levin ’10](/author/sala-levin-10)


> Students and Faculty Mark 20 Years of Excavating and Documenting Little-Known Ruins Near Pompeii

[Feature Video: From Ashes to Awe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKQu8WuwgUA)



Perched above the glittering Bay of Naples, Stabiae was the vacation destination of choice for the who’s who of ancient Roman society. They’d flock to fabulous villas to host intellectual discussions, swim in the sea below and partake plentifully of the local wine, all while enjoying an unimpeded view of Mt. Vesuvius.

The partying came to a sudden end in the year 79, when the volcano erupted, releasing toxic gases and boiling-hot ash that buried the resort area, its neighboring towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and thousands of their inhabitants.

Yet the details on how the Roman elite lived, entertained and decorated their lavish homes have come to light two millennia later through excavations and analysis of the site led by University of Maryland faculty and students. This summer marked the 20th anniversary of their work in Italy, and a new book coming out next year will showcase their progress.


*students write while sitting on ground — For 20 years, UMD students and faculty members have been uncovering gardens and frescoes as they’ve excavated and documented villas destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius’ eruption in the coastal Italian city of Stabiae. (Photo by Jon Dunham)*


*students excavating — In 2008, students excavated lapilli, button-sized droplets of molten lava, from Villa Arianna’s garden. (Photo courtesy of Robert Lindley Vann)*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Architecture](https://today.umd.edu/topic/architecture), [History](https://today.umd.edu/topic/history), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation](https://today.umd.edu/topic/school-architecture-planning-and-preservation)