We are on a
street in ancient Herculaneum. Both Herculaneum and Pompeii lie in
the shadow of the volcanic Mount Vesuvius, which is why these ancient
cities are so intact for us to see. They were both buried, in 79 A.D.
when the volcano erupted and covered these cities.. Since the 18th
century, these cities have gradually been excavated.
As we stroll these excavated streets, we can see the ancient versions of some things that are very familiar to our modern selves.
Here we can see 
a Roman fast food restaurant, where
we can step in and grab a bite to eat.
What
will you have? Just tell the guy behind the counter and he will dish
it out.
Here we are standing in the
entrance way of a
well-to-do
Roman's home.
Imagine the walls covered in murals and a fountain bubbling in the little pool.
There is the hallway to the front door. We are very
insulated from the bustling activity and the noises of the
street.
Back out in the street,
Drew is pulling up the sewer cover
and looking down into the sewers that run under the streets. Wealthy
Romans enjoyed plumbing that took fresh water to their homes and
carried human waste away.
Poorer Romans also enjoyed fresh water but had to go to the public fountains to get it. And, they enjoyed public toilets. But, in their homes, much like my grandparents in northern Alabama in the early part of this century, they had to carry out their waste. Unlike my grandparents though, a Roman dumped it into a public sewer. The waste was then carried out of the city by the sewage system. My grandparents, 1900 years later, were dumping it into the pit under the outhouse.
Let's see another place where the Romans had pipes carrying fresh water. Let's go to the baths!