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IPTC: Caption
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Visitors look at a mummy in Pompeii, the famous city next to Naples which was destroyed in AD 79 by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius July 17, 2008. Nearly 2,000 years after it was buried under a volcanic eruption, the ancient Roman town of Pompeii is being steadily ruined by the modern world. Decades of neglect, millions of trampling visitors and the ravages of sunlight and rain are threatening to wipe out for good one of the world's most famous archaeological sites and Italy's top tourist attraction. Archaeologists and art historians have long complained about the poor upkeep of the Pompeii treasures, warning that its fading frescoes, leaky roofs and crumbling walls would not survive the test of time. Picture taken July 17, 2008. To match feature ITALY-POMPEII/ REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito (ITALY)
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