In pictures: The ruins of Pompeii

[Krystal Coenen]

In pictures: The ruins of Pompeii

The collapse of an ancient house in Pompeii, close to the mount Vesuvius volcano, has prompted Italy's heritage experts to warn that many other monuments could be in danger



A guide and a stray dog, seen in the Forum baths, Pompeii

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2010/nov/11/pompeii-ruins-archaeology-italy?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

[Krystal Coenen]

Forum granary. Though it was even in Roman times only a modest city, modern-day Pompeii amounts to an archaeological site of quite staggering scale

[Krystal Coenen]

Fresco, at the House of Menander. Though it may be possible, once again, to rebuild the House of Gladiators from the ground, the richly decorated frescoes of gladiators that gave the building its name may be lost for ever

[Krystal Coenen]

Guide and tourists at entrance to House of the Faun. What no visitor to the city can fail to note is the bewildering scale of the task facing Pompeii's custodians

[Krystal Coenen]

 Seen at the end of the street is the House of the Gladiators, which recently collapsed. In sections of the city enormous structural walls are propped up by wooden struts or steel supports while scaffolding and strips of orange plastic insist

[Krystal Coenen]

Pillars supported at House of the Faun.

[Krystal Coenen]

Plaster casts of victims, at Garden of the Fugitives. Many buildings only appear still to be standing thanks only to the goodwill of the Roman gods

[Krystal Coenen]

The Forum. Brick walls have been colonised by weeds, and stray dogs growl at passing visitors

[Krystal Coenen]

The Forum. Roads closed to pedestrians have quickly been reclaimed by moss and grass, while cracks have appeared in marble pedestals

[Krystal Coenen]

The Forum. Dug out from under layers of volcanic rock more than 17 centuries after its destruction, the city is an archaeological miracle

[Krystal Coenen]

Tourists at The Forum. 'Pompeii will continue to decay unless there is more basic maintenance on a regular basis', says Jo Berry of Swansea University

[Krystal Coenen]

Via dell'Abbondanza. Though it was even in Roman times only a modest city, modern-day Pompeii amounts to an archaeological site of quite staggering scale