Organic remains, including wooden objects and human bodies, were interred in the ash. Over time, they decayed, leaving voids that archaeologists found could be used as moulds to make plaster casts of unique, and often gruesome, figures in their final moments of life. The numerous graffiti carved on the walls and inside rooms provide a wealth of examples of the largely lost Vulgar Latin spoken colloquially at the time, contrasting with the formal language of the classical writers.
At some time in the night or early the next day, pyroclastic flows began near the volcano, consisting of high speed, dense, and scorching ash clouds, knocking down wholly or partly all structures in their path, incinerating or suffocating the remaining population and altering the landscape, including the coastline.
In 1689, Francesco Picchetti saw a wall inscription mentioning decurio Pompeii's ("town councillor of Pompeii"), but he associated it with a villa of Pompey. Francesco Bianchini pointed out the true meaning, and he was supported by Giuseppe Macrini, who in 1693 excavated some walls and wrote that Pompeii lay beneath La Civita.
Before recent findings, August 24th 79 AD was thought to be the exact date Pompeii’s eruption occurred. Not so! The widely held belief has been disproved by curious finds that allude to a more autumnal setting. Market stalls that held common fall foods like chestnuts, unripe pomegranates, and harvested wine, as well as other findings like warmer clothing on the Roman people, heaters, and inscriptions all date the event closer to October or November.