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Narrator: the doomed
Roman city of pompeii,
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00:00:06,448 --> 00:00:10,448
Destroyed by the eruption
Of a killer volcano,
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00:00:10,482 --> 00:00:14,758
Buried beneath ash and rock
For nearly 2,000 years,
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00:00:14,793 --> 00:00:18,724
Pompeii's death is legendary,
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But the mystery of its birth
Remains unsolved.
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00:00:23,344 --> 00:00:27,379
Now, scientists venture beneath
The surface of this lost world
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To discover why the people
Of pompeii founded their city
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In one of the most
Dangerous places on earth.
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[ italian accent ]
What we should ask ourselves is,
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"Why would people build
On a volcano?"
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Narrator: breakthroughs
Reveal surprising secrets
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Hidden in this
Apocalyptic landscape.
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Could this deadly volcano
Actually be the very reason
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Why pompeii exists at all?
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To solve these mysteries,
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We'll pull apart this remarkable
City stone by stone.
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We'll dive beneath the marble
Floors and behind the frescoes
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To unearth
The astonishing secrets
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Of this doomed metropolis
And discover
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Why it was founded here
In the danger zone.
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--captions by vitac--
Www.Vitac.Com
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Captions paid for by
Discovery communications
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Pompeii, built in the shadow
Of mainland europe's
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Most active volcano --
Vesuvius.
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An entire roman city with
A population of 11,000 people
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Razed to the ground
By an apocalyptic eruption,
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Entombed 2,000 years ago
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By nearly 25 feet
Of volcanic debris,
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But now investigators are
Digging beneath the layer
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Preserved by the ash.
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Their goal -- to delve into
A deeper mystery
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And shed light on
The city's very foundations.
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We always think of pompeii
As the classic roman town,
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And we forget that this has got
A long,
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Long history
Of occupation beforehand.
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[ rumbling ]
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Narrator: underneath
A thick layer of volcanic debris
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Lies an entire
Ancient metropolis
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Preserved for centuries.
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[ crumbling ]
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Flanked by shops and bars,
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Pompeii's main street
Is frozen in time.
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It led to the center
Of the city, the forum.
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It was enclosed on three sides
By a grand pillared arcade --
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[ rumbling ]
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Once the bustling heart
Of pompeii.
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Who founded this city?
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And why was it constructed
In the blast zone
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Of an active volcano?
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[ suspenseful music plays ]
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Archaeologist sophie hay
Has dedicated her career
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To investigating pompeii.
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She's trying to piece together
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How and why
The city emerged here.
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Hay: [ british accent ] This is
What makes pompeii so special.
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You can see the state
Of preservation here,
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Unparalleled in the roman world.
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Narrator: a third of the town
Still remains untouched
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By archaeologists to preserve
The treasures under the ash.
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But today, for the first time
In more than a decade,
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A major new excavation
Is beginning.
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The dig gives sophie a rare
Chance to investigate
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The shocking depth
To which pompeii was buried.
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It highlights the enormous
Challenge
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Archaeologists face
In their search
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For this city's
Mysterious origins.
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This is the material that
Vesuvius dumped upon pompeii
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During the 79 a.D. Eruption,
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And this just filled
These rooms.
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Narrator:
The preservation of everyday
Roman life is breathtaking.
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It has made pompeii's story
Truly iconic.
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Even now, archaeologists are
Unearthing grand villas
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Adorned with intricate wall
Paintings and beautiful mosaics.
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They're building an incredibly
Detailed picture
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Of how
Pompeii's people lived,
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From the bankers
And politicians,
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To the slaves
And gladiators.
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This is the closest contact
I can have with the romans,
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Seeing the everyday objects
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That they used
Nearly 2,000 years ago.
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Narrator:
Archaeologists are still
Unearthing victims
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From the city's final day,
Like this man,
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Crushed by flying rubble,
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But beneath the roman layer
Hide untold secrets.
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Hay:
Most of the excavations of
Pompeii stop at the roman level.
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We've got a long way to go
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Before we understand
The origins.
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Narrator:
Who founded this city, and why
Did they choose this spot?
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Can a discovery at the gates
Of pompeii
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Reveal why the city
Emerged here beneath a volcano?
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[ rumbling ]
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Buried underground,
Archaeologists have discovered
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A tomb undisturbed
For more than 2,000 years.
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[ rumbling ]
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Stone slabs mark
The final resting place
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Of a solitary
Female skeleton.
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There are few clues
To her identity,
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But surrounding her body are 12
Beautifully decorated vases
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Painted in a style
Almost unlike anything else
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Excavated in pompeii.
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What can these rare objects
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Reveal about the area's
Secret history?
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[ rumbling ]
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The vases open a window
Onto the little-known tribes
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Who occupied pompeii before rome
Conquered it in 80 b.C.
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Hay: wow.
That's a good few 100 years
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Before roman pompeii.
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These vases are extremely old,
But the decoration is not roman.
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[ camera shutter clicks ]It's greek.
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For sophie and pottery
Specialist letitia kavassa,
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The origin of the tomb's
Offerings is an important clue.
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And these two here,
They're beautiful.
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Before the rise of rome,
The greeks were one of
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The most advanced civilizations
In the mediterranean.
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The vases
Suggest they were here,
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Sharing their culture
With early pompeians,
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But why?
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Today, pompeii seems
An unlikely place
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To find a greek vase,
But 2,000 years ago,
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It was a center of trade
Close to the sea.
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The city was strategically
Placed near the sarnus river,
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Giving the town direct access
To the bay of naples.
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Surrounded by the steep slopes
Of ancient volcanoes,
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The bay was known
For its unusually deep waters.
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Much of italy's coast
Is made up of shallow beaches
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That large ships
Cannot approach,
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00:07:50,862 --> 00:07:54,448
So the bay of naples became
Vital for international trade.
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♪♪
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Sophie believes ancient
Greek commerce
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May be the key
To unlocking pompeii's origins.
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[ suspenseful music plays ]
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She heads to the town's
Oldest district
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In search of more evidence.
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Hay:
This is the triangular forum.
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It's a slightly mysterious place
In pompeii.
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It feels very different.
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Narrator:
Archaeologists believe
The triangular forum
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Is a remnant of pompeii's
Earliest days.
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Clues to the town's beginnings
Survive in the stonework here.
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Hay: so this is the last piece
In the jigsaw.
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This huge piece of
Architectural fragment
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Was a column capital,
So right
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At the top of the column,
But it's not roman.
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It's greek, and it dates
To the 6th century b.C.,
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So 700 years before
The eruption of vesuvius.
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[ suspenseful music plays ]
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Narrator: the temple overlooks
The old course of the river.
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Sophie believes
It's a clear sign
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That pompeii was tapping into
The ancient greek trading world.
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The greek columns would have
Been visible to passing traders
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In search of markets
To sell goods,
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Everything from pottery to food
And even slaves.
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Pompeii was a melting pot
Of cultures
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From the 6th century b.C.
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All the way through
To the roman period,
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And that's encapsulated here.
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Narrator: by 79 a.D.,
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Pompeii had developed
Into a thriving trading hub
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Thanks to steep volcanic slopes
Forming a deep natural harbor,
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00:09:43,241 --> 00:09:48,379
But was the volcano providing
More than just a port?
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Was the force that eventually
Killed pompeii
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The very thing that allowed it
To flourish in the first place?
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Narrator: pompeii --
An entire roman city destroyed
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And preserved by
A volcanic eruption,
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The settlement's history
Stretches back hundreds of years
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Before 79 a.D.,
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00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,310
But why did pompeii change
From a small coastal port
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To a major commercial hub?
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Did the volcano itself provide
The resources needed
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For the town's transformation
Into a thriving roman city?
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Geologist guido giordano
Thinks a clue
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May lie hidden in the actual
Fabric of pompeii's buildings.
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Giordano: everywhere
You walk through this city,
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You find evidence
Of volcanic material
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Being used in construction,
And this is because volcanoes
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Produce a wide variety
Of rock types from hard
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And heavy lavas to soft
And light volcanic tuffs,
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And in the bay of naples,
Those are everywhere.
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Narrator:
Pompeii's roman roads were laid
With tuff lava stone
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To withstand the heavy traffic
Of horse-drawn carts.
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Decorative architectural
Features were sculpted
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From softer volcanic tuff.
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Did these materials
Attract the first pompeians
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To this location?
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Beneath a house in the south
Of the city
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Lies evidence of pompeii's
Original architecture --
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Stone foundations
Buried below the surface
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That predate the surrounding
Buildings by hundreds of years.
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They stretch back
To the 6th century b.C.
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00:11:55,379 --> 00:11:58,896
Made from soft volcanic rock
And packed into the ground
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A mere 4 inches deep,
These foundations were the roots
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00:12:03,482 --> 00:12:06,896
Of the earliest structures
In pompeii.
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Could this rock hold the answer
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To why this city grew
And flourished here?
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In 79 a.D., vesuvius had been
Dormant for hundreds of years,
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But volcanic material
From much older eruptions
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Formed the region's bedrock.
198
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So what was it
That made this rock
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00:12:29,137 --> 00:12:31,517
So useful
To ancient builders?
200
00:12:33,517 --> 00:12:36,172
Building materials
Are fundamental
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00:12:36,206 --> 00:12:40,689
To understanding
Ancient civilizations.
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This material is actually
Very soft, very easily workable,
203
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But at the same time,
It is strong,
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00:12:48,310 --> 00:12:52,448
And that's why pompeii
Is largely made
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00:12:52,482 --> 00:12:55,275
Of blocks of tuff like this one.
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00:12:57,413 --> 00:13:00,827
Narrator:
The volcano provided the raw
Material for early pompeians
207
00:13:00,862 --> 00:13:03,206
To build their settlement,
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00:13:03,241 --> 00:13:06,482
But guido believes that when
The romans conquered the region,
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00:13:06,517 --> 00:13:08,517
Their ingenious use of tuff
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00:13:08,551 --> 00:13:10,689
Helped them
To supersize the city.
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00:13:10,724 --> 00:13:12,206
[ mysterious music plays ]
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♪♪
213
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He investigates a stone mine
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00:13:19,517 --> 00:13:22,689
Deep beneath the nearby city
Of naples.
215
00:13:22,724 --> 00:13:25,862
Here, ancient tuff can be found
In its original state --
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00:13:25,896 --> 00:13:30,551
Volcanic ash cemented into rock.
217
00:13:30,586 --> 00:13:32,896
The citizens used
Carved blocks of tuff
218
00:13:32,931 --> 00:13:36,448
To construct pompeii's
Grand public buildings,
219
00:13:36,482 --> 00:13:40,034
But they also used it
As a mortar.
220
00:13:40,068 --> 00:13:44,620
When crushed, the rock
Turns back into loose ash.
221
00:13:44,655 --> 00:13:49,896
One of the most revolutionary
Invention of ancient romans
222
00:13:49,931 --> 00:13:55,103
Was to mix this volcanic ash
With quicklime
223
00:13:55,137 --> 00:13:57,275
To produce a cement
224
00:13:57,310 --> 00:14:03,344
That is actually able to dry
Even in wet environments.
225
00:14:03,379 --> 00:14:05,827
Narrator:
The romans' development
Of hydraulic cement
226
00:14:05,862 --> 00:14:08,344
Meant they could
Build underwater.
227
00:14:08,379 --> 00:14:10,965
This wonder material transformed
Their influence
228
00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,000
Within the mediterranean.
229
00:14:14,034 --> 00:14:18,206
This invention allowed them
To build concrete structures
230
00:14:18,241 --> 00:14:21,241
And piers for their harbors,
231
00:14:21,275 --> 00:14:24,413
And this is probably
One of the key aspects
232
00:14:24,448 --> 00:14:26,655
Of the success of pompeii.
233
00:14:28,793 --> 00:14:32,517
Narrator:
The advanced infrastructure
Of the bay of naples ports
234
00:14:32,551 --> 00:14:37,482
Enabled pompeii to thrive
On mediterranean trade,
235
00:14:37,517 --> 00:14:40,931
But what were pompeii's
Merchants selling?
236
00:14:40,965 --> 00:14:43,689
Was living beneath a volcano
Actually boosting
237
00:14:43,724 --> 00:14:45,965
The city's economy?
238
00:14:48,586 --> 00:14:50,862
With commerce flourishing
In the bay,
239
00:14:50,896 --> 00:14:53,413
Business boomed for traders,
240
00:14:53,448 --> 00:14:58,586
Nowhere more than at the
Hundreds of bars across pompeii.
241
00:14:58,620 --> 00:15:03,689
These served locally grown food
To visitors and pompeians alike,
242
00:15:03,724 --> 00:15:06,034
Perhaps functioning as informal
Meeting points
243
00:15:06,068 --> 00:15:09,551
Where trade deals
Could be made.
244
00:15:09,586 --> 00:15:11,482
The walls were covered
In frescoes
245
00:15:11,517 --> 00:15:15,758
Depicting the roman god of wine,
Bacchus,
246
00:15:15,793 --> 00:15:18,896
And their storerooms
Were stocked full of amphorae,
247
00:15:18,931 --> 00:15:22,172
Vessels for transporting wine.
248
00:15:22,206 --> 00:15:25,620
Amphorae bearing pompeii's
Stamps have turned up across
249
00:15:25,655 --> 00:15:29,034
The roman empire,
From britain to north africa.
250
00:15:31,896 --> 00:15:36,724
So was wine at the heart
Of pompeii's roaring trade?
251
00:15:36,758 --> 00:15:39,620
Today, farmers grow grapes
In organic vineyards
252
00:15:39,655 --> 00:15:42,103
All over the mountain.
253
00:15:42,137 --> 00:15:45,241
Guido believes that vesuvius'
Geology may offer
254
00:15:45,275 --> 00:15:49,379
A huge advantage
To this industry.
255
00:15:49,413 --> 00:15:51,482
Today's soils contain
The products
256
00:15:51,517 --> 00:15:54,275
Of vesuvius'
Most recent eruption.
257
00:15:54,310 --> 00:15:57,517
The latest was in 1944.
258
00:15:57,551 --> 00:15:59,241
Two thousand years ago,
259
00:15:59,275 --> 00:16:02,068
Pompeii's winemakers
Would have been growing vines
260
00:16:02,103 --> 00:16:05,241
In the ash of earlier eruptions.
261
00:16:05,275 --> 00:16:10,862
This kind of material is very
Easily weathered by water,
262
00:16:10,896 --> 00:16:12,241
By rainwater,
263
00:16:12,275 --> 00:16:18,068
So the minerals are released
To the soil very quickly.
264
00:16:18,103 --> 00:16:23,034
Narrator:
Until 79 a.D., vesuvius hadn't
Erupted for centuries,
265
00:16:23,068 --> 00:16:25,034
Long enough
For generations of farmers
266
00:16:25,068 --> 00:16:27,103
To safely establish vineyards
267
00:16:27,137 --> 00:16:30,241
And perfect
The art of winemaking.
268
00:16:30,275 --> 00:16:33,758
Guido tests the acidity
Of the soil.
269
00:16:33,793 --> 00:16:35,655
It confirms the reason
For pompeii's
270
00:16:35,689 --> 00:16:38,896
Success in wine production.
271
00:16:38,931 --> 00:16:40,517
Giordano:
So this has worked perfectly.
272
00:16:40,551 --> 00:16:42,000
Look at the orange color.
273
00:16:42,034 --> 00:16:45,103
That means that the soil
Is very acidic,
274
00:16:45,137 --> 00:16:49,793
And this is due to the presence
Of very high content
275
00:16:49,827 --> 00:16:54,413
Of potassium
In the vesuvius volcanic ash.
276
00:16:54,448 --> 00:16:57,965
Potassium is very important
To plants,
277
00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:02,344
So that's the reason
Why this soil is so fertile.
278
00:17:04,931 --> 00:17:06,724
Narrator:
Pompeii had everything it needed
279
00:17:06,758 --> 00:17:09,931
To become
A thriving trading hub.
280
00:17:09,965 --> 00:17:12,620
The volcano provided
Natural harbors,
281
00:17:12,655 --> 00:17:16,448
The raw material
For commercial infrastructure
282
00:17:16,482 --> 00:17:19,862
And even its major export: wine.
283
00:17:22,413 --> 00:17:24,758
Giordano:
Pompeii had a prime location,
284
00:17:24,793 --> 00:17:29,896
So no wonder it was flourishing
In the 1st century.
285
00:17:32,103 --> 00:17:37,068
Narrator:
The volcano was clearly key
To pompeii's prosperity.
286
00:17:37,103 --> 00:17:41,931
As it grew, more people came
To live in the danger zone,
287
00:17:41,965 --> 00:17:43,862
But did the benefits
That allowed the city
288
00:17:43,896 --> 00:17:50,448
To prosper come at a deadly cost
Long before vesuvius erupted,
289
00:17:50,482 --> 00:17:52,103
And did the people of pompeii
290
00:17:52,137 --> 00:17:54,482
Know that their time
Was running out?
291
00:17:54,517 --> 00:17:57,551
[ ominous music plays ]
292
00:18:07,172 --> 00:18:10,620
Narrator:
Pompeii, one of the most
Perfectly preserved cities
293
00:18:10,655 --> 00:18:12,655
In the ancient world,
294
00:18:12,689 --> 00:18:15,172
Now, archaeologists
Are discovering that the town
295
00:18:15,206 --> 00:18:20,724
Destroyed by vesuvius in 79 a.D.
Was no ordinary roman city.
296
00:18:24,172 --> 00:18:28,793
Pompeii was a 600-year-old
Mediterranean trading hub.
297
00:18:28,827 --> 00:18:31,586
It owed its very existence
To the volcano
298
00:18:31,620 --> 00:18:34,965
And the resources
It provided,
299
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:39,448
But was vesuvius also
Extracting a deadly price
300
00:18:39,482 --> 00:18:42,034
Even before it erupted?
301
00:18:42,068 --> 00:18:44,689
A clue lies in
The city's lifeblood --
302
00:18:44,724 --> 00:18:47,241
Its ingenious roman
Water network.
303
00:18:51,896 --> 00:18:55,931
At the highest point of the city
Stands the castellum aquae,
304
00:18:55,965 --> 00:18:59,620
Distributing water
Throughout pompeii.
305
00:18:59,655 --> 00:19:04,517
Connected to it, lead pipes
Travel 150 yards downhill
306
00:19:04,551 --> 00:19:09,620
Beneath the sidewalk
To the first water tower.
307
00:19:09,655 --> 00:19:14,793
♪♪
308
00:19:14,827 --> 00:19:19,758
This fed the city's homes
And public baths,
309
00:19:19,793 --> 00:19:24,896
But encrusted on the brick
A thick mineral deposit
310
00:19:24,931 --> 00:19:28,000
Built up over decades.
311
00:19:28,034 --> 00:19:31,034
Could this residue have had
A potentially deadly effect
312
00:19:31,068 --> 00:19:33,551
On the people living here?
313
00:19:33,586 --> 00:19:35,482
[ ominous chord strikes ]
314
00:19:35,517 --> 00:19:38,413
Forensic anthropologist
Pier paolo petrone
315
00:19:38,448 --> 00:19:39,827
Wants to find out.
316
00:19:42,517 --> 00:19:46,137
The bones of the dead
Could hold the answers,
317
00:19:46,172 --> 00:19:50,068
But they're locked away
From forensic examination.
318
00:19:50,103 --> 00:19:52,758
Contorted in their
Agonizing death poses
319
00:19:52,793 --> 00:19:56,206
And covered by falling ash,
The victims were preserved
320
00:19:56,241 --> 00:19:59,000
By 19th-century
Archaeologists.
321
00:19:59,034 --> 00:20:01,413
They cast in plaster
The molds left
322
00:20:01,448 --> 00:20:03,655
By the long-decayed bodies,
323
00:20:05,724 --> 00:20:09,241
But the plaster is so dense
Even ct scans struggle
324
00:20:09,275 --> 00:20:12,862
To penetrate through
To the bone inside,
325
00:20:12,896 --> 00:20:16,206
So for clues pier paolo
Examines skeletons
326
00:20:16,241 --> 00:20:19,517
Excavated from neighboring
Herculaneum.
327
00:20:19,551 --> 00:20:24,448
This was another town buried
By the eruption of 79 a.D.
328
00:20:24,482 --> 00:20:26,827
He looks for evidence that
Could explain the effect
329
00:20:26,862 --> 00:20:29,068
Of living beneath vesuvius.
330
00:20:45,758 --> 00:20:49,275
Pier paolo uses a ct scanner
To investigate the skull
331
00:20:49,310 --> 00:20:53,965
Of a man who died
Sheltering from the eruption.
332
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,206
The scans reveal a surprise.
333
00:20:58,931 --> 00:21:02,551
This man was relatively old
When the volcano killed him.
334
00:21:23,620 --> 00:21:25,793
[ suspenseful music plays ]
335
00:21:25,827 --> 00:21:31,206
Was vesuvius having a sinister
Effect on his quality of life?
336
00:21:31,241 --> 00:21:33,206
Pier paolo examines
The skeletons
337
00:21:33,241 --> 00:21:35,551
In search
Of a pattern of pathology.
338
00:21:37,689 --> 00:21:42,034
In almost every victim,
He finds strange bony growths
339
00:21:42,068 --> 00:21:46,068
That would have made
Joints stiff and painful.
340
00:21:46,103 --> 00:21:50,206
In some cases, the effects are
Shockingly severe,
341
00:21:50,241 --> 00:21:52,448
Even leading to paralysis.
342
00:22:11,206 --> 00:22:15,931
Pier paolo analyzes the victims'
Teeth to find more clues.
343
00:22:15,965 --> 00:22:19,034
What he discovers suggests
That the mystery disease
344
00:22:19,068 --> 00:22:24,068
Was linked to their diet
And the region's volcanic soil.
345
00:22:33,448 --> 00:22:35,655
Fluorosis is caused by
The excessive
346
00:22:35,689 --> 00:22:38,103
Consumption
Of the mineral fluoride.
347
00:22:40,862 --> 00:22:43,172
Pier paolo thinks that
The people of pompeii
348
00:22:43,206 --> 00:22:48,068
Were being slowly poisoned
By a contaminated water supply.
349
00:22:51,586 --> 00:22:57,482
Vesuvius' permeable volcanic
Rock is rich in fluoride.
350
00:22:57,517 --> 00:22:59,689
As rain filters through
The ground,
351
00:22:59,724 --> 00:23:02,793
This fluoride dissolves
Into the water,
352
00:23:02,827 --> 00:23:05,931
Entering springs
In the valley below.
353
00:23:05,965 --> 00:23:09,896
The romans used these polluted
Springs for drinking water
354
00:23:09,931 --> 00:23:14,206
And built an ingenious aqueduct
To carry it down to pompeii.
355
00:23:14,241 --> 00:23:16,896
At the castellum aquae,
356
00:23:16,931 --> 00:23:20,379
The water was divided
To supply fountains,
357
00:23:20,413 --> 00:23:23,827
Baths, and houses
Across the city.
358
00:23:26,793 --> 00:23:29,137
The people drank
The fluoride-laced water,
359
00:23:29,172 --> 00:23:33,034
Which over time ravaged
Their bones and joints.
360
00:23:36,448 --> 00:23:39,758
The volcanic terrain that had
Nurtured the city
361
00:23:39,793 --> 00:23:43,517
Was sucking the life
From its population.
362
00:23:43,551 --> 00:23:45,724
The people of pompeii
Had prospered
363
00:23:45,758 --> 00:23:48,862
Due to the volcano's
Natural resources,
364
00:23:48,896 --> 00:23:50,413
But did they have any idea
365
00:23:50,448 --> 00:23:54,068
They were living
Beneath a silent killer?
366
00:23:54,103 --> 00:23:56,103
Should they have spotted
The warning signs
367
00:23:56,137 --> 00:23:59,413
That this volcano
Was about to erupt,
368
00:23:59,448 --> 00:24:01,551
And could they have escaped?
369
00:24:10,931 --> 00:24:14,034
Narrator: pompeii --
The roman city destroyed
370
00:24:14,068 --> 00:24:18,068
By a giant volcanic eruption.
371
00:24:18,103 --> 00:24:21,103
Today, archaeologists are
Still digging down
372
00:24:21,137 --> 00:24:23,896
Through the millions of tons
Of volcanic debris
373
00:24:23,931 --> 00:24:28,000
To uncover its hidden secrets.
374
00:24:28,034 --> 00:24:30,655
Could pompeii's citizens
Have known their time
375
00:24:30,689 --> 00:24:33,448
Was running out?
376
00:24:33,482 --> 00:24:36,827
Volcanologist giuseppe
Mastrolorenzo investigates
377
00:24:36,862 --> 00:24:39,172
The heartbeat
Of this sleeping giant.
378
00:24:39,206 --> 00:24:41,655
[ ominous music plays ]
379
00:24:41,689 --> 00:24:43,827
He's trying to figure out
Whether the volcano
380
00:24:43,862 --> 00:24:47,689
Offered any warning of the fury
It was about to unleash.
381
00:25:04,620 --> 00:25:07,103
Even today,
One third of this city
382
00:25:07,137 --> 00:25:10,206
Is still completely buried
Under volcanic ash.
383
00:25:10,241 --> 00:25:14,206
[ suspenseful music plays ]
384
00:25:35,793 --> 00:25:39,172
Did the people of pompeii have
Any inkling of the cataclysm
385
00:25:39,206 --> 00:25:42,103
That was coming their way?
386
00:25:42,137 --> 00:25:44,862
There may be a clue in the walls
Of one of pompeii's
387
00:25:44,896 --> 00:25:47,620
Partially excavated buildings --
388
00:25:47,655 --> 00:25:50,551
This impressive villa
Set around a courtyard.
389
00:25:52,034 --> 00:25:54,000
[ rumbling ]
390
00:25:54,034 --> 00:25:58,931
Inside is a snapshot
Of pompeii's final moments,
391
00:25:58,965 --> 00:26:02,034
On the north wall,
The yellow sketched outline
392
00:26:02,068 --> 00:26:06,034
Of an unfinished fresco.
393
00:26:06,068 --> 00:26:09,344
Beneath it, archaeologists
Discovered pots stained
394
00:26:09,379 --> 00:26:12,000
With bright paint pigments.
395
00:26:12,034 --> 00:26:16,275
Alongside them, larger pots
Containing lime plaster,
396
00:26:16,310 --> 00:26:19,689
The base layer
For another painting,
397
00:26:19,724 --> 00:26:21,965
But there's a strange mistake.
398
00:26:24,068 --> 00:26:27,275
Plaster was splashed on the wall
Covering the fresco,
399
00:26:27,310 --> 00:26:31,827
Evidence of a panic
When this room was abandoned.
400
00:26:31,862 --> 00:26:36,137
People were working here
Right up until the eruption.
401
00:26:36,172 --> 00:26:37,896
[ rumbling ]
402
00:26:37,931 --> 00:26:40,620
Should they have spotted
The warning signs?
403
00:26:58,034 --> 00:27:02,137
Earthquakes often occur
In the lead-up to an eruption.
404
00:27:02,172 --> 00:27:04,655
They're caused by molten rock
Or magma
405
00:27:04,689 --> 00:27:06,896
Building up
Within the volcano.
406
00:27:09,724 --> 00:27:12,137
Archaeologists have identified
More signs
407
00:27:12,172 --> 00:27:15,586
Of earthquake damage
Around the city --
408
00:27:15,620 --> 00:27:20,000
Cracks in stone walls
Patched up with bricks.
409
00:27:20,034 --> 00:27:22,862
The people of pompeii
Were still making repairs
410
00:27:22,896 --> 00:27:26,586
Even though the volcano
Had started to produce tremors.
411
00:27:26,620 --> 00:27:30,620
Why?
412
00:27:30,655 --> 00:27:34,620
The romans were no strangers
To active volcanoes
413
00:27:34,655 --> 00:27:38,896
Such as etna and stromboli.
414
00:27:38,931 --> 00:27:42,482
Their eruptions were rarely
Preceded by earthquakes,
415
00:27:42,517 --> 00:27:46,379
But seismic activity
Did occur regularly.
416
00:27:46,413 --> 00:27:48,448
Italy straddles
A major fault line
417
00:27:48,482 --> 00:27:52,689
Where two mighty
Tectonic plates meet.
418
00:27:52,724 --> 00:27:57,241
This boundary makes italy one
Of europe's tremor hot spots,
419
00:27:57,275 --> 00:27:59,206
Suffering
A devastating earthquake
420
00:27:59,241 --> 00:28:02,344
On average roughly
Every 5 years.
421
00:28:04,655 --> 00:28:08,965
Pompeii itself had been hit
17 years before the eruption,
422
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,000
So it's unlikely
That people connected
423
00:28:11,034 --> 00:28:14,827
The tremors with the mountain.
424
00:28:14,862 --> 00:28:17,448
So if the pompeians didn't know
They were living
425
00:28:17,482 --> 00:28:19,413
Beneath a volcano,
426
00:28:19,448 --> 00:28:22,551
How much time did they get
To save themselves
427
00:28:22,586 --> 00:28:24,758
When the eruption
Finally began?
428
00:28:24,793 --> 00:28:26,206
[ ominous music plays ]
429
00:28:26,241 --> 00:28:29,000
[ rumbling ]
430
00:28:30,862 --> 00:28:35,931
Giuseppe believes he's found
A lead in the volcanic fallout.
431
00:28:35,965 --> 00:28:38,344
These little stones
Are fragments of rock
432
00:28:38,379 --> 00:28:41,482
Called pumice
Ejected from the volcano.
433
00:29:05,103 --> 00:29:07,103
Giuseppe
Thinks these pumice stones
434
00:29:07,137 --> 00:29:11,379
Might reveal how quickly
The eruption took place.
435
00:29:11,413 --> 00:29:13,793
At his laboratory in naples,
Giuseppe
436
00:29:13,827 --> 00:29:16,034
And his team
Take a closer look.
437
00:29:19,275 --> 00:29:21,172
Deep within
The rock's microstructure
438
00:29:21,206 --> 00:29:24,000
Lies the imprint
Of the eruption itself.
439
00:29:26,586 --> 00:29:30,103
The team uses x-rays to isolate
The individual crystals
440
00:29:30,137 --> 00:29:33,482
And bubbles of air within it.
441
00:29:33,517 --> 00:29:35,206
This technique allows giuseppe
442
00:29:35,241 --> 00:29:38,103
To decipher the conditions
Inside the volcano
443
00:29:38,137 --> 00:29:40,206
When the pumice was formed.
444
00:29:40,241 --> 00:29:43,655
This will reveal how quickly
The magma was expelled.
445
00:29:54,724 --> 00:29:57,448
The tiny size of the crystals
Within the pumice
446
00:29:57,482 --> 00:30:00,379
Suggests they had
Very little time to grow.
447
00:30:16,034 --> 00:30:18,724
As the pumice rained down
On pompeii,
448
00:30:18,758 --> 00:30:20,655
Roofs collapsed
Under its weight,
449
00:30:20,689 --> 00:30:24,344
Crushing the people
Taking shelter below,
450
00:30:24,379 --> 00:30:29,172
But this was only a precursor
To a much more deadly force.
451
00:30:29,206 --> 00:30:32,586
What exactly happened
During the eruption,
452
00:30:32,620 --> 00:30:34,137
And could new evidence reveal
453
00:30:34,172 --> 00:30:37,413
That there may even
Have been survivors?
454
00:30:45,793 --> 00:30:49,344
Narrator:
The eruption of mount vesuvius
In 79 a.D.
455
00:30:49,379 --> 00:30:53,275
Shocked and terrified
The people of pompeii.
456
00:30:53,310 --> 00:30:55,137
For years, the town
Had been rocked
457
00:30:55,172 --> 00:30:57,827
By tremors and earthquakes.
458
00:30:57,862 --> 00:30:59,862
Archaeologists believe
That its citizens
459
00:30:59,896 --> 00:31:02,793
Didn't connect
The shaking of the ground
460
00:31:02,827 --> 00:31:05,965
With the threat of eruption.
461
00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:09,275
Many ignored it
Until it was too late.
462
00:31:09,310 --> 00:31:13,103
The devastation of the city
Was rapid and merciless.
463
00:31:13,137 --> 00:31:19,000
♪♪
464
00:31:19,034 --> 00:31:21,275
But scientists are now
Uncovering evidence
465
00:31:21,310 --> 00:31:23,620
That some people may incredibly
Have been able
466
00:31:23,655 --> 00:31:25,896
To live through the eruption.
467
00:31:28,379 --> 00:31:31,310
[ rumbling ]
468
00:31:31,344 --> 00:31:34,689
When archaeologists
Excavated pompeii,
469
00:31:34,724 --> 00:31:39,758
They discovered strange cavities
Inside the ash.
470
00:31:39,793 --> 00:31:42,551
As burned bodies decayed,
They left voids
471
00:31:42,586 --> 00:31:44,275
In the hardened material,
472
00:31:44,310 --> 00:31:47,482
Eerie imprints of these people's
Last moments
473
00:31:47,517 --> 00:31:50,034
That even captured
Facial expressions.
474
00:31:52,931 --> 00:31:56,896
Encased in the ash,
The victims' bones remained,
475
00:31:56,931 --> 00:32:01,000
Long after their clothes
And flesh had gone,
476
00:32:01,034 --> 00:32:02,482
But the blast wasn't hot enough
477
00:32:02,517 --> 00:32:05,655
To instantly
Incinerate the bodies,
478
00:32:05,689 --> 00:32:07,344
So was the temperature
At a level
479
00:32:07,379 --> 00:32:09,689
That some people
Could have survived?
480
00:32:09,724 --> 00:32:13,068
[ rumbling ]
481
00:32:13,103 --> 00:32:15,413
Geologist
Guido giordano searches
482
00:32:15,448 --> 00:32:19,517
The scorched walls of pompeii.
483
00:32:19,551 --> 00:32:21,620
He pieces together
A detailed picture
484
00:32:21,655 --> 00:32:24,379
Of exactly what
Its citizens were up against.
485
00:32:27,827 --> 00:32:32,137
When the volcano erupted,
A giant cloud of hot rocks
486
00:32:32,172 --> 00:32:36,827
And ash was fired up
To 30 kilometers in height.
487
00:32:36,862 --> 00:32:41,689
People must have been terrified.
488
00:32:41,724 --> 00:32:43,827
Narrator:
As the rocks began to fall,
489
00:32:43,862 --> 00:32:46,724
The people of pompeii would have
Begun to flee,
490
00:32:46,758 --> 00:32:50,137
But what happened next?
491
00:32:50,172 --> 00:32:53,068
The force of the eruption
Propelled millions of tons
492
00:32:53,103 --> 00:32:56,655
Worth of material into the sky.
493
00:32:56,689 --> 00:33:01,482
As the pressure dropped,
The rock and ash began to fall.
494
00:33:01,517 --> 00:33:05,103
A cascade of volcanic debris
Called a pyroclastic flow
495
00:33:05,137 --> 00:33:09,034
Descended down the mountain
On a cushion of air
496
00:33:09,068 --> 00:33:12,206
Flattening everything
In its path.
497
00:33:12,241 --> 00:33:16,413
When the column collapsed,
Producing a huge avalanche
498
00:33:16,448 --> 00:33:21,344
Very fast full of rock debris,
The top layer of that
499
00:33:21,379 --> 00:33:26,310
Was a giant cloud
Of searing-hot gas and dust.
500
00:33:26,344 --> 00:33:28,551
[ rumbling ]
501
00:33:28,586 --> 00:33:30,793
Narrator:
Anyone who avoided the rock flow
502
00:33:30,827 --> 00:33:34,000
Would have faced the surge
Of superheated gas.
503
00:33:34,034 --> 00:33:36,931
[ suspenseful music plays ]
504
00:33:36,965 --> 00:33:39,655
For a long time,
Scientists believed that people
505
00:33:39,689 --> 00:33:42,793
Still left in the city
Would have died instantly,
506
00:33:45,275 --> 00:33:47,862
But guido giordano and his team
Want to find out
507
00:33:47,896 --> 00:33:51,379
If anyone caught up in
The cloud could have survived.
508
00:33:51,413 --> 00:33:54,689
[ suspenseful music plays ]
509
00:33:54,724 --> 00:33:57,586
Volcanologists believe that when
The pyroclastic flow
510
00:33:57,620 --> 00:33:59,655
Surged towards pompeii,
511
00:33:59,689 --> 00:34:05,620
Temperatures in the ash cloud
Exceeded 750 degrees fahrenheit,
512
00:34:05,655 --> 00:34:07,896
Hot enough to melt lead.
513
00:34:09,965 --> 00:34:12,586
This is an extremely hot
Temperature,
514
00:34:12,620 --> 00:34:17,034
Unsurvivable for human beings.
515
00:34:17,068 --> 00:34:18,586
Narrator:
But what happened to
Those temperatures
516
00:34:18,620 --> 00:34:22,517
When the cloud entered the city?
517
00:34:22,551 --> 00:34:27,034
Traveling at over 60 miles per
Hour barely touching the ground,
518
00:34:27,068 --> 00:34:30,275
The 750-degree
Flow reached pompeii
519
00:34:30,310 --> 00:34:34,172
In just a few minutes,
But in the city,
520
00:34:34,206 --> 00:34:37,551
Any walls still standing
Could have provided refuge,
521
00:34:37,586 --> 00:34:41,000
Shielding some areas
From the full force of the blow.
522
00:34:41,034 --> 00:34:43,413
[ rumbling ]
523
00:34:44,862 --> 00:34:47,172
Clues within pompeii's buildings
524
00:34:47,206 --> 00:34:48,896
Suggest the temperature
Of the cloud
525
00:34:48,931 --> 00:34:52,000
May have dropped
In these pockets of shelter.
526
00:34:52,034 --> 00:34:57,724
Inside some of the houses,
You can still find bread
527
00:34:57,758 --> 00:35:04,379
Or furniture virtually untouched
By the heat wave,
528
00:35:04,413 --> 00:35:09,655
So this tells us that the
Dynamics of the pyroclastic flow
529
00:35:09,689 --> 00:35:16,000
Once it entered the city
Must have gone through changes.
530
00:35:16,034 --> 00:35:20,275
Narrator:
Using a pioneering technique,
Guido believes he can work out
531
00:35:20,310 --> 00:35:22,068
How the ash cloud behaved
532
00:35:22,103 --> 00:35:26,827
When it reached
Pompeii's streets and houses.
533
00:35:26,862 --> 00:35:29,724
The secret is locked in the
Fragile remnants of wood
534
00:35:29,758 --> 00:35:33,655
Found within
Pyroclastic deposits.
535
00:35:33,689 --> 00:35:38,413
When wood is transformed into
Charcoal, its cells dry out.
536
00:35:38,448 --> 00:35:43,068
Its surface becomes shiny
And reflects light,
537
00:35:43,103 --> 00:35:46,758
A property guido can measure.
538
00:35:46,793 --> 00:35:50,379
Giordano: we can convert the
Intensity of the light
539
00:35:50,413 --> 00:35:54,758
Reflected into the temperature
Of the pyroclastic flow.
540
00:35:54,793 --> 00:35:57,724
Narrator: for guido,
The results are tantalizing.
541
00:35:57,758 --> 00:36:02,448
Some samples were burned at
Around 750 degrees fahrenheit,
542
00:36:02,482 --> 00:36:05,103
But others burned
At a much lower heat.
543
00:36:05,137 --> 00:36:09,689
The temperatures inside pompeii
Were actually
544
00:36:09,724 --> 00:36:14,206
Much more variable
Than we expected.
545
00:36:14,241 --> 00:36:16,724
Narrator: in some areas,
The heat never got above
546
00:36:16,758 --> 00:36:20,551
300 degrees fahrenheit.
547
00:36:20,586 --> 00:36:24,103
Guido believes at this
Temperature, against all odds,
548
00:36:24,137 --> 00:36:27,655
People might have lived
Through the thermal shock.
549
00:36:27,689 --> 00:36:29,758
Giordano:
In local areas of pompeii,
550
00:36:29,793 --> 00:36:33,551
There could have been conditions
For survival for human beings.
551
00:36:33,586 --> 00:36:36,689
[ ominous chord strikes ]
552
00:36:36,724 --> 00:36:39,172
Narrator:
The possibility that its
Citizens could have escaped
553
00:36:39,206 --> 00:36:44,413
The pyroclastic surges
Rewrites pompeii's history,
554
00:36:44,448 --> 00:36:46,482
But in the days following
The eruption,
555
00:36:46,517 --> 00:36:49,896
Their town was consumed
By the fallout.
556
00:36:49,931 --> 00:36:52,310
Pompeii was beyond rescue,
557
00:36:52,344 --> 00:36:56,137
But its story
Is only partly told.
558
00:36:56,172 --> 00:36:58,551
What archaeological treasures
Still hide
559
00:36:58,586 --> 00:37:01,827
In the city's last buried areas?
560
00:37:01,862 --> 00:37:04,724
And what threat
Does vesuvius pose today?
561
00:37:14,034 --> 00:37:15,620
Narrator:
Two thousand years ago,
562
00:37:15,655 --> 00:37:20,310
Pompeii was destroyed
By the eruption of vesuvius,
563
00:37:20,344 --> 00:37:24,758
Torn apart by pyroclastic flows
And buried by ash and pumice.
564
00:37:24,793 --> 00:37:26,310
[ ominous notes strike ]
565
00:37:26,344 --> 00:37:28,862
Today, a third of the town
Still rests
566
00:37:28,896 --> 00:37:31,103
In its volcanic grave.
567
00:37:32,206 --> 00:37:34,344
[ machinery treads clack ]
568
00:37:34,379 --> 00:37:38,655
But the new dig is starting
To explore this hidden district.
569
00:37:38,689 --> 00:37:42,103
What are pompeii's last
Remaining secrets?
570
00:37:42,137 --> 00:37:43,482
So we're standing on...
571
00:37:43,517 --> 00:37:46,379
Narrator:
Sophie hay joins pompeii's
Director general,
572
00:37:46,413 --> 00:37:48,137
Massimo osanna.
573
00:37:48,172 --> 00:37:50,000
His team is about to dig down
574
00:37:50,034 --> 00:37:53,275
Into what appears
To be a townhouse.
575
00:37:53,310 --> 00:37:57,068
Hay:
So I see a little glimpse
Down here of something.
576
00:37:57,103 --> 00:37:58,275
This is
The top of the wall,
577
00:37:58,310 --> 00:38:02,206
The first wall
Of our new excavation.
578
00:38:02,241 --> 00:38:06,620
Most of the city's buildings
Were razed to the ground floor,
579
00:38:06,655 --> 00:38:10,344
But this wall stands
13 feet above street level.
580
00:38:10,379 --> 00:38:14,000
Incredibly, it suggests
This home's upper floors
581
00:38:14,034 --> 00:38:15,758
May have survived.
582
00:38:15,793 --> 00:38:19,000
In this part of the town,
This pyroclastic surge
583
00:38:19,034 --> 00:38:22,655
Was not
So really destructive.
584
00:38:22,689 --> 00:38:24,517
It's really fantastic
To understand
585
00:38:24,551 --> 00:38:26,724
The ancient architecture.
586
00:38:26,758 --> 00:38:30,172
[ upbeat music plays ]
587
00:38:30,206 --> 00:38:34,034
The exposed brickwork is lined
With a seam of plaster.
588
00:38:36,241 --> 00:38:38,931
As the excavation progresses,
589
00:38:38,965 --> 00:38:42,517
It reveals richly
Decorated rooms.
590
00:38:42,551 --> 00:38:45,137
Vivid depictions of birds
And sea creatures
591
00:38:45,172 --> 00:38:47,241
Emerge from the ash.
592
00:38:47,275 --> 00:38:49,206
Shielded from the worst
Of the heat,
593
00:38:49,241 --> 00:38:52,655
This house is
A remarkable time capsule.
594
00:38:52,689 --> 00:38:55,103
This new area allows
Archaeologists
595
00:38:55,137 --> 00:38:58,758
To resurrect the city's
Lost upper levels.
596
00:38:58,793 --> 00:39:02,551
Pompeii still has many
More secrets to yield,
597
00:39:02,586 --> 00:39:06,965
But one day could
All this be buried again?
598
00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,413
[ rumbling ]
599
00:39:10,448 --> 00:39:13,344
Vesuvius has erupted more
Than 30 times
600
00:39:13,379 --> 00:39:15,586
Since it consumed the city.
601
00:39:18,103 --> 00:39:20,724
Giuseppe mastrolorenzo
And his colleagues
602
00:39:20,758 --> 00:39:22,620
At the vesuvius observatory
603
00:39:22,655 --> 00:39:26,931
Watch the mountain
For signs of it stirring.
604
00:39:26,965 --> 00:39:28,724
It's not just vesuvius
That threatens
605
00:39:28,758 --> 00:39:31,344
The modern gulf of naples.
606
00:39:31,379 --> 00:39:35,068
The entire bay
Is ringed by volcanoes,
607
00:39:35,103 --> 00:39:38,172
Including europe's largest,
Campi flegrei.
608
00:40:16,206 --> 00:40:18,482
The potential costs
Of an eruption today
609
00:40:18,517 --> 00:40:22,034
Are unimaginably high,
610
00:40:22,068 --> 00:40:26,000
So despite pompeii's warning
From history, why, today,
611
00:40:26,034 --> 00:40:31,000
Is the volcano's blast
Zone more populated than ever?
612
00:40:31,034 --> 00:40:32,689
For the people
In the bay of naples,
613
00:40:32,724 --> 00:40:35,896
The benefits of living
Here outweigh the risks.
614
00:40:38,172 --> 00:40:41,068
Their ancestors have been
Making the same calculation
615
00:40:41,103 --> 00:40:45,172
For thousands of years.
616
00:40:45,206 --> 00:40:50,000
Volcanoes provide a wealth
Of benefits at all times,
617
00:40:50,034 --> 00:40:53,241
And occasionally
Severe hazards.
618
00:40:53,275 --> 00:40:57,620
The people of this region
Have learned to be resilient
619
00:40:57,655 --> 00:41:00,379
To cope
With the volcanic hazard.
620
00:41:01,206 --> 00:41:02,724
[ rumbling ]
621
00:41:02,758 --> 00:41:06,862
Narrator:
Vesuvius fostered a thriving
Population for centuries,
622
00:41:06,896 --> 00:41:12,206
But for the town of pompeii,
Luck ran out in 79 a.D.
623
00:41:12,241 --> 00:41:15,448
The mountain finally called
In the debt.
624
00:41:15,482 --> 00:41:17,379
The ruins are a time capsule
625
00:41:17,413 --> 00:41:22,172
Preserving the volcano's cycle
Of birth and destruction,
626
00:41:22,206 --> 00:41:23,689
Yet despite the danger,
627
00:41:23,724 --> 00:41:28,034
People have returned in their
Millions to live in its shadow.
628
00:41:28,068 --> 00:41:30,137
It's almost inevitable
That one day
629
00:41:30,172 --> 00:41:32,689
The pattern will be
Repeated.
630
00:41:32,724 --> 00:41:34,931
[ suspenseful music plays ]
631
00:41:34,965 --> 00:41:44,689
♪♪
632
00:41:44,724 --> 00:41:54,482
♪♪
633
00:41:54,517 --> 00:42:04,344
♪♪
51196
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