The New Murrey and Blue blog

This was shown on BBC2 over three consecutive Mondays, featuring an all-Italian excavation of the abandoned city and the British volcanologist Dr. Chris Jackson.

It featured the familiar story of the two-day eruption and pyrochastic flow killing thousands, including Pliny the Elder, before they could escape as many ran from the lava towards the sea whereas inland would have been a safer option in this case. However, the viewer would have learned that Pompeii was larger and more populous than hitherto thought and that many people ran the right way and escaped. Several frescoes were discovered, including those owned by the baker-politician Aulus Rustius Verus.

If you haven’t seen it, do catch up or wait for a broadcaster in your country to buy it. The same applies to this Channel Five programme.

By Super Blue