Ancient Herculaneum, a Roman city of about 20 hectares and 4,000 inhabitants, stood on a coastal plateau at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. During the Augustan age, it saw major renovations, including the Theater and the Basilica-Augusteum. Buried by the 79 CE eruption, the city was rediscovered in the 17th century. Excavations, initially through tunnels, expanded to open-air digs in the 19th and 20th centuries. Significant finds include the ancient shoreline, skeletons of victims, a boat, and parts of the Villa dei Papiri. Today, Herculaneum is a key site for understanding Roman urban life and the impact of the eruption.