While digging for a playground of all things. 
This is where he would have witnessed the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius before going on his ill fated rescue mission to Pompeii. He was an admiral and the site would have given him an excellent view of shipping on the bay.
1st-century villa discovered near Mount Vesuvius may be where Pliny the Elder watched catastrophic eruption
Archaeologists think the luxurious villa was where Pliny the Elder first witnessed the massive volcanic eruption that would later claim his life.
www.livescience.com
