Pompeii Secrets Revealed

S1, E3: The discovery of Pompeii opened a new world to archaeologists, and host Josh Bernstein reveals all of its rich detail to us in this fascinating program. In AD 79, the volcano Vesuvius exploded in one of history's deadliest eruptions, burying the city of Pompeii and other Roman towns along the Bay of Naples beneath layers of ash and pumice—and literally stopped its victims in their tracks. Pompeii was rediscovered in the eighteenth century, but only recently have archaeologists and volcanologists come to understand exactly how the eruption unfolded, and why it took the people of Pompeii almost entirely by surprise. Intrigued, host Josh Bernstein visits the Bay of Naples, and learns the entire area is built on ancient volcanic rock, some of it still steaming. He climbs the world's most active volcano—Stromboli, an island near Sicily—where "fireworks" from the volcano are a nightly entertainment. Back at Pompeii, he searches for clues that might have alerted the Romans to the growing threat in their midst. And he literally plays with fire as he follows the story right into the heart of Vesuvius.