Necropolis of Porta Ercolano

The Necropoli di Porta Ercolano is one of the larger burial grounds of ancient Pompeii, lying just outside the city walls near the Herculaneum gate. Roman law required cemeteries to be located beyond the urban perimeter, and here, as elsewhere, the tombs line the road leading from the gate. Among the six necropolises excavated at Pompeii, this site contains a significant number of graves, reflecting its use as a primary burial area for the city’s inhabitants. The tombs vary in form, from modest markers to more elaborate structures, offering a tangible record of Pompeian funerary customs before the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.