Thanks to documents written before the eruption, people knew that these towns had existed, but no attempt was made to uncover them. In 1592 an architect in charge of building an underground aqueduct that happened to pass through fields over Pompeii, accidentally dug up some wall paintings and inscriptions. They were clearly from a brothel.

"Too rude!" he thought, and made his men bury them again – or – perhaps he didn't want treasure hunters holding up his work.