This paint fades quickly with sub exposure. On our tour of Pompeii, we saw many food stalls that had been previously excavated, but there was hardly any paint still visible. Uncovering these ruins also destroys them. It is a strange mix of ephemeral and lasting. As Pompeii has been excavated by generations of archeologists, it has also been part of developing modern archeological methods. Visiting the place is so incredible, it has no doubt inspired legions of archeologists to enter the field.