For the people of Pompeii the world reached a horrific end in the Autumn of 79 AD. The only surviving eyewitness account of the event consists of two letters written by Pliny the Younger (who was 17 at the time of the eruption) to the Roman historian Tacitus some 25 years later. Observing the first volcanic activity from across the Bay of Naples 29 kilometers away, Pliny the Elder (his uncle) launched a rescue fleet immediately - while Pliny the Younger stayed behind. He wrote of a extraordinary dense cloud rising above mount Vesuvius. His words describe a pine-tree with spreading branches which was sometimes bright and sometimes dark and spotted - impregnated with earth and cinders. After three tremors the sea rolled back upon itself. Flashes appeared through dark clouds and ash fell like a blanket of snow.

Meanwhile for Pliny the Elder things were taking a turn for the worse. As commander fo the Roman fleet at Misenum he went to investigate the phenomenon at close range. He ordered the fleet galleys to evacuate the people on the coast. As he neared the other side of the bay he encountered thick showers of hot cinders, lumps of pumice and pieces of rock. Ignoring the helmsman to turn back Pliny insisted that Fortune favors the brave and continued to Stabiae - a town about 4.5km from Pompeii. Very soon they realized the strong onshore wind prevented any ships from leaving. Pliny and his party saw flames shooting from parts of the mountain - presumed to be burning villages. Forced to stay overnight the crew attempted to approach the beach with pillows tied to their heads to protect from rockfall - however the wind had not changed and exhausted Pliny sat down on a sail for a rest to never stand again.

The Crusader States (also known as Outremer) were created after the First Crusade (1095-1102) as a way to keep hold of territorial gains by Christian armies in the Middle East. Crusader castles were built all over Outremer to serve not only as defensive structures, but also as administrative and economic centers designed to last for many years to come. The four small Outremer states were the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Edessa, the Country of Tripoli and the Principality of Antioch. This analysis focuses on the former Phoenician and later Roman colony of Sidon / Saida which remained in Arab hands until 1110 when King Baldwin I of Jerusalem and King Sigured I of Norway captured it. The city was then re-captured by the masterful Saladin in 1187, only to be re-taken by German Crusaders in 1197. It remained a key Crusader stronghold until the Saracen invasion of 1249 when it was destroyed - this series of exchanges presented the backdrop for the ill-fated 7th Crusade.

The 7th Crusade was led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254. Jerusalem had recently fallen and there was no popular enthusiasm at the time for a new crsusade, as Europe was involved in many internal conflicts. Bela IV of Hungary was rebuilding his kingdom from ashes after the devastating Mongol invasion of Europe. Henry III of England was struggling at home and Haakon IV of Norway was in the midst of a civil war. Louis IX was almost alone in declaring a new crusade to the east and in 1248 sailed from Aigues-Mortes and Marseilles with an army of 15,000. They sailed for Cyprus but Louis decided to focus first on attacking Egypt. While marching towards Cairo, Louis' main force was attacked by Mameluk Baibars and defeated. In 1250 while attempting to return to a safer location, Louis himself was captured and taken prisoner after his army was annihilated. He was ransomed for 800,000 bezants after which he fled to Acre, one of the safest crusader strongholds in Outremer. The French King re-enforced local defenses and moved north to Sidon.

An ancient cemetery was discovered in Hassleben Thuringia which remained the richest ancient grave found in Germany for almost a hundred years. Not only was the oldest written Germanic word ever discovered etched onto a comb, but hundreds of Roman coins, ceramic fragments and Roman-style brooches were also discovered. This is no accident as much of our knowledge regarding Thuringia and broader Germania comes from the Roman historian Tacitus. The Elbe Germanic tribes who moved into this region were allies of the Romans who were trading partners, a buffer to the neighbouring Chatti - sworn enemies of Rome, as well as specialised in metalworking of iron and precious metals.

Here you can see the richly outfitted grave of the Princess of Hassleben which demonstrates the influential noble class who had a very close relationship with the Romans. She was a young woman buried with a choker, golden fibulae, a ring, a collier of roman glass beads, roman coins, pottery plates and vessels. In her mouth was a Roman gold coin - known as Charons obol - which would provide payment to Charon the ferryman to allow her soul to reach the world of the dead. Next to her remains lay the skeleton of a small dog - possibly her personal pet.