The eruption of the powerful volcano Vesuvius, which destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, remains one of history’s most well-known and well-remembered natural disasters. But what many don’t realize is that Pompeii was actually destroyed by two natural disasters, which were related but occurred separately: the eruption of the volcano, and a powerful series of earthquakes that followed it. While the volcanic eruption has been heavily studied, less is known about the syn-eruptive earthquakes (the name for tremors triggered by volcanic activity) that occurred shortly thereafter. But during a recent excavation at the Insula del Casti Amanti building complex in central Pompeii, new evidence emerged that showed just how intense and destructive these earthquakes really were. Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyHistoryImportant EventsRead Later