Herculaneum is an ancient town lying 5 miles (8 Km) southest of Naples, on the western slopes of Mount Vesuvius, founded, according to legend, by the mythical Hercules (the greek Herakles). It is of Greek origins, as the place name itself indicates (from the greek Herakleion, latin Herculaneum) and the town plan, very similar to the near Neapolis. It was destroyed and buried in ashes, together with Pompeii, by the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in 79 A.D., and nowadays, Herculaneum is an important archaeological site. Excavations began by accident in 1709 when some workers discovered a wall which was later found to be one of the stages of an ancient theatre. Today, we find well conserved wooden objects, furniture, allowing us to record customs, traditions, and art from a Roman era. Many of the artefacts now are housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, others in the local Antiquarium.