Botanical research, Pompeii. Researcher studying burnt seeds and other plant material found during the excavation of the Roman city of Pompeii. Many of these plants were used to make perfumes, and, along with a wide range of perfume bottles, were found in what is called the House of the Perfumer. Located in the Bay of Naples, Italy, this city was ruined and buried during an eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in 79 AD. The city was rediscovered and excavated in the 18th and 19th centuries, revealing much about the Roman way of life. Today it is a tourist destination visited by millions every year.