In
1738
an
official
exploration
of
the
Herculaneum
area
began,
a
slow
and
difficult
process
due
to
the
hardness
of
the
rock
covering
it.
The
first
serious
attempt
to
uncover
Pompeii
was
in
1748.
Both
excavations
have
been
continuing
ever
since.
Two-thirds
of
Pompeii
has
now
been
excavated,
compared
to
only
one-fifth
of
Herculaneum.