Due to the thick layers of ash that covered the two cities located at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, their names and precise locations were gradually forgotten over the centuries. In 1710, the prince of Elboeuf, upon learning of the discovery of worked marble nearby, began an exploration that was later determined to correspond to Herculaneum. During his exploration, the prince was fortunate enough to find the ancient theater, which became the first complete example of a Roman theater ever discovered. However, his main interest lay in the works of art for his own collection, and he extracted them without keeping a precise record of their location.

Following Elboeuf's example, the search for Herculaneum was continued somewhat more systematically in 1738 by Roque Joaquin de Alcubierre, and in 1748 excavations began at Pompeii under the patronage of the King and Queen of Naples, Charles of Bourbon and Maria Amalia of Saxony. However, these explorations focused mainly on the recovery of ancient masterpieces to embellish the royal palace, and no detailed recording of the archaeological finds was carried out.

Herculaneum is partially buried at a depth of between 15 and 18 meters under a layer of ash and pyroclastic material, and only about 4% of the city has been uncovered. In contrast, Pompeii was covered by a layer of ash averaging 6-7 meters deep. After the eruption, attempts were made to locate the cities without much success, and over time, they fell into oblivion over the centuries until they were rediscovered in 1592.