Archaeologist excavating a fresco on an ancient Roman food stand (thermopolium) in the ruins of Pompeii in the Bay of Naples, Italy. The fresco depicts two mythological creatures: a nereid (sea nymph, left) and a hippocamp (fish-tailed horse, right). Hot food and drinks could be bought at stands such as these, especially by working or middle-class citizens, who largely did not have kitchens. Pompeii was a Roman town with a population of around 20,000 that was destroyed when the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. It was not until 1749 that attempts were made to excavate the town. Layers of ash have preserved the site, allowing archaeologists to glean much about life in the Roman Empire.