Herculaneum got buried with superheated pyroclastic material in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. The town is in absolutely fantastic condition. Walking around a 2000 year old city that looks better then most modern cities says a lot about Roman life. I enjoyed Herculaneum more then Pompeii (which we visited a few hours later) because it is much better preserved. If you want to get a good feel of Roman life I highly recommend Herculaneum.