Episode Details

In 79 AD the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the tiny Roman town of Herculaneum in Italy. Today archaeologists are exploring its incredible secrets. Herculaneum is one of the most perfectly preserved Roman towns in the world. Fine townhouses contain wooden furniture, the remains of food and a library with thousands of papyrus scrolls.

How did so much of this town survive the apocalyptic force of a volcano? Archaeologists have also discovered hundreds of bodies all huddled together in boathouses on the seafront. Who were these people and what can their remains tell us about Herculaneum’s final, terrifying hours?

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