All language subtitles for Lost.Treasures.of.Rome.S01E06.DSNP.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-SiGLA.en[cc]

NARRATOR: In Herculaneum, Italy,

archaeologists make
a shocking discovery.

At the edge of the ancient town,

a skeleton
emerges from the dirt.

FRANCESCO: We will study
his DNA because we know that

his DNA tell us something.

NARRATOR: It's the first new body
discovered here in over 25 years.

This skeleton could provide tantalizing
clues to this town's final moments,

and the apocalyptic event
that sealed its fate.

(theme music playing)

NARRATOR: In 79 AD the
Roman world experienced one of

the greatest catastrophes
in known history,

the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

It devastated the
surrounding towns and villages,

burying them beneath layers
of volcanic pumice and ash.

Pompeii, on the
volcano's southern slope,

was destroyed and is famous
for its crushed homes and

bodies frozen in time.

But nearby, on
Vesuvius's western slope,

lies a
lesser-known town, Herculaneum.

Buried four times
deeper than Pompeii,

it has survived in
extraordinary condition.

Today, a team of archaeologists,

geologists and
forensic anthropologists search

for clues to uncover what
happened to Herculaneum and

its thousands of residents.

To piece together the final
deadly 24 hours of the eruption.

There is something
just so special about this site,

it's a, it's a little jewel.

NARRATOR: Archaeologist,
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill,

first visited this
ancient town as a teenager.

He was so fascinated by it that
he has spent most of his career

working to preserve the
site and its treasures.

ANDREW: We've
only excavated something like

a quarter of the
site of Herculaneum.

There is still
stuff to excavate.

NARRATOR: Archaeologists
have discovered some of

the best preserved buildings
in the Roman world here.

Andrew searches the site,
looking for evidence of the ways

in which Herculaneum's
fate differed from Pompeii's.

Isn't this
place absolutely stunning?

Up above us, you can see
that there's a second floor.

This is something
you get in Herculaneum.

Pompeii is kind of
decapitated by the eruption.

You've just got
the ground floor,

and now we can see, ah,

there's a whole life
going on up above us,

rooms above
here and above there.

NARRATOR: Dozens of the houses
in Herculaneum have beautifully

preserved walls
and upper floors.

And there's more.

ANDREW: Over here, we've
got what has to be a bedroom.

You know it's a
bedroom because, for once,

you've got a bed in it.

In Pompeii, you don't
find beds; they disappeared,

they were made of wood.

In Herculaneum the
wood is preserved.

NARRATOR: Artifacts like
this are exceptionally rare,

making this town an
ancient treasure trove.

Over here, we have
this glorious wooden screen,

which enabled you then
to close off this room.

Obviously, this is
cased in glass and metal,

but in there is the
original wood of the screen, uh,

stunningly preserved.

NARRATOR: The wooden bed
and screen are blackened by

the eruptions but, remarkably,

they are still intact.

They probably had
wooden screens in Pompeii too,

but pfft, gone.

Here were many wooden details that
get preserved, beams, shutters,

all sorts of stuff.

NARRATOR: At Pompeii,
just over eight miles away

the eruption
incinerated wooden objects.

This stark difference suggests
that the volcanic eruption hit

Herculaneum in a
very different way.

To uncover how these
wooden objects have survived,

the team needs to continue
their investigation of the town

to find out what happened
on the day Vesuvius erupted.

14 miles west of Herculaneum,

across the Bay of Naples,

Jasmine Elmer
explores the location of

the former
Roman town of Misenum.

Jasmine wants to investigate
two ancient letters written by

someone who claims to have
witnessed the volcanic eruption

of 79 AD from here.

JASMINE: It's such an
amazing treat

to have letters like
this that survive.

We have so few eyewitness
accounts from the ancient world,

let alone of
something so catastrophic.

NARRATOR: These letters are
just two of hundreds written

by a Roman known
as Pliny the Younger.

JASMINE: In Pliny's letters,

we have an account of
what he calls a cladde,

a catastrophe, a disaster,
that happens and seeing what

he calls an unusual
cloud of size and appearance.

NARRATOR: The letters
recount that 17-year-old Pliny

was in Misenum with
his mother and his uncle,

a Naval Commander,
also called Pliny,

when they noticed a
dark cloud to the east.

Pliny the Elder, a
natural philosopher at heart,

climbed to higher ground to get a better
view of the peculiar phenomenon,

and saw the cloud
was arising from a mountain.

He ordered a light vessel from
his fleet to be readied for him

to sail across the bay
to take a closer look.

But, before he set sail,

Pliny the Elder received a message
from his friend, Rectina,

in distress near Mount Vesuvius,

pleading for his help.

He turned his crossing
into a rescue mission.

Pliny the Younger's letters,

written in Latin,

were penned decades after
the catastrophic eruption.

Leading experts to question
the accuracy of his account.

These letters were written to
the Roman historian Tacitus,

about 25 years after the event.

Now, some people might say that that makes
them slightly unreliable,

how accurate is, uh,

Pliny's memory of the
events that occurred?

NARRATOR: Jasmine wants to
investigate the letters to

explore how reliable Pliny's
account of the eruption is.

If his story stands
up to modern scrutiny,

it could help explain
what happened to towns like

Herculaneum during the eruption.

Jasmine plans to follow in the
footsteps of Pliny the Elder,

to see if it would have
been possible to launch

a Naval rescue mission
from these waters.

JASMINE: Here in the Latin, we
see that Pliny the Elder goes,

"In periculum,"
into the danger zone.

Where others
are fleeing, he is going.

Now, is this true
of what happened,

or is Pliny the Younger trying to
embellish the bravery of his uncle?

NARRATOR: Today, the ruins
of Herculaneum lie just inland,

but due to land movement and

sea level changes
over two millennia,

in 79 AD Herculaneum
was right on the coast.

Several bodies have been discovered along
the town's ancient beach.

At his lab at Chieti University,

Luigi Capasso investigates
the remains of a skeleton

previously excavated here.

LUIGI: Is this a piece of
tuberosity here do you think?

NARRATOR: For
more than two decades,

Luigi has been working
alongside archaeologists

to study the bones of people
found here in Herculaneum.

He wants to unravel the stories of those
who died in the eruption.

Their remains could help reveal

what happened in
this town's final hours.

LUIGI: Okay, this
is the last, finished.

We have, uh, a near
complete skeleton of a man,

probably 40, 45 age.

This skeleton show
many traces of trauma

that occurred before death.

For example, the left femur
shows a previous injury

that caused new bone formation.

We have a, the
traces on the face.

This trauma is due to a violent impact
with a, a very hard object.

NARRATOR: This evidence suggests
the man lead a violent life.

Further clues uncovered alongside him
shed more light on his story.

When his skeleton was excavated,
archaeologists discovered a bag

containing a
blade characteristic of

an ancient Roman
woodworking tool.

By his side, the remains of
a sword with an ivory handle.

He carried 14 coins
of silver and gold;

a sign he was a wealthy man.

Next to his body,
archaeologists discovered

the charred remains
of an upturned boat.

Who was this man,

and what was he doing on
the ancient beach that day?

Examining the skeleton, an
intriguing piece of evidence

catches Luigi's eye.

So, can be very
interesting to see the detail

of this part under the microscope.

This very strange combination,
a total co-penetration between

the metal to the bone.

NARRATOR: The microscope analysis
reveals a piece of metal

has fused to
the man's hip bone.

To try to understand
how this happened,

Luigi examines an image of the objects
found alongside the skeleton.

These two swords
was found in connection

with the body and probably

one of the piece of metal

that is lost in this object,

fused with the bone.

NARRATOR: Luigi believes
the heat produced during

the volcanic eruption fused part
of the sword to the man's hip.

This evidence offers Luigi
a clue to the man's identity.

The archaeological evidence,

such as the swords,

fit with the evidence
of previous injuries

so we can conclude that,
that this man was a soldier.

NARRATOR: The
elaborate design of the sword,

and an ornate belt, suggest
he wasn't a regular soldier.

He was likely a
high-ranking Praetorian Guard.

The Praetorian Guard
was an elite military unit

that protected the Emperor.

Only the bravest Roman soldiers

who had proved
their worth in battle,

were chosen to join the unit.

They weren't just
skilled fighters.

The Praetorian Guard
included specialist soldiers,

such as naval engineers,
known as the Faber Navalis.

They served for shorter
terms than ordinary soldiers,

but were paid up to three and
a half times their salaries.

There is no evidence of a
military base at Herculaneum.

The closest was in
Misenum across the bay.

This elite naval engineer

may have been part
of a rescue mission.

He could be evidence to
support Pliny's account.

Analysis of the boat discovered

next to him could
yield more clues.

NARRATOR: East of Herculaneum,

Volcanologist Giuseppe Mastrolorenzo

ascends the slope of
the infamous volcano,

Mount Vesuvius.

He's looking for evidence
that could help shed light on

the sequence of volcanic events

that took place
during the 79 AD eruption.

GIUSEPPE: Okay now, I
can see the hot spot.

NARRATOR: Mount Vesuvius lies
just five miles from Herculaneum

and is still an active volcano.

Normally, visitors to this
iconic spot can't go further

than the outer rim.

But Giuseppe has studied
Vesuvius for over 30 years and

has been granted permission
to descend into the crater.

This is a
monitoring station used for

monitoring the CO2 which
is emitted from the ground.

NARRATOR: Monitoring stations
are dotted around the crater.

They detect any sign
the volcano is heating up.

GIUSEPPE: Beneath here, there
is a very wide magma chamber,

and we must detect any change which can
be a possible indicator.

NARRATOR: Giuseppe uses a
digital thermometer to check

today's surface temperature.

Uh, okay,
it is relatively low.

Well, the
temperature in this, uh,

in this area is less than,
than 30 degrees Celsius,

which is normal in this period.

There have been no changes.

You are safe here, today.

NARRATOR: Safe to proceed with his
investigation of the volcano,

Giuseppe continues
along the crater's edge.

GIUSEPPE: In 79 AD, this
area was completely different,

so there was not this crater,

which has been formed
in the last centuries.

But the eruption started
from some place around here.

NARRATOR: During the eruption,

some 12 million tons
of volcanic ash and rock

was propelled into
the atmosphere every minute.

GIUSEPPE:
During this phase,

the first
eruptive column was formed.

This column is
an increasing, uh,

column of gas and, and particles

which can reach the elevation
of about 35 kilometers,

three times the maximum
elevation of a, of an aircraft.

NARRATOR: This giant column of ash aligns
with Piny the Younger's account

of seeing an unusual cloud
arising from the mountain.

On the ground, Giuseppe spots
a clue to what happened next

at the nearby towns of
Herculaneum and Pompeii.

These rocks, uh, are
about the size of the pumice

fell in Pompeii.

The particles were blown
by the wind to the east,

toward Pompeii, and so an
fallout of particles occurred

and lasted for hours,
for hours and hours.

NARRATOR: Expert analysis
of pumice and ash deposits

has revealed a north-westerly wind blew
the cloud of volcanic debris

away from Herculaneum
and over Pompeii.

The burning hot rocks and thick ash
rained down on Pompeii,

causing roofs to collapse,

crushing and killing those
sheltering in their homes.

Herculaneum, located to
the west of the volcano,

and its population of
more than 4,000 people,

were initially spared
from this rocky fallout.

GIUSEPPE: People in Herculaneum
observed this giant column.

I think they were terrified.

NARRATOR: The north-westerly wind
saved Herculaneum from

the bombardment that hit Pompeii,
allowing time for escape,

and for Pliny the Elder
to launch a rescue mission.

To uncover what happened next to
Herculaneum and its remaining residents,

Giuseppe needs to investigate the layers
of volcanic debris inside the town.

Off the coast of the
ancient town of Misenum,

Jasmine continues her hunt.

She is searching for
evidence to corroborate

Pliny the Younger's account
of his uncle's rescue mission.

Pliny the Elder
orders some quadriremes,

some Romany military ships,
to cross the Bay of Naples

with him at the helm.

NARRATOR: Pliny the Elder's
fleet sets off from Misenum and

heads towards the
base of Vesuvius.

If Pliny had ships at his disposal to
launch a rescue mission,

there must have been a
harbor somewhere nearby.

Jasmine searches the bay
for any evidence of one.

Rounding the coast, she
spots something intriguing.

You can
just see over there

one pilae that
reaches out above the sea.

It's quite amazing
that we can see that.

Pilae have a few functions,

one is to mark the
edge of the harbor,

but also to provide
protection from the waves coming

in from the Bay of Naples.

NARRATOR: The upper part
of this structure is modern,

but it sits on a
characteristically Roman base.

Using satellite imagery,
remnants of other pilae are

visible beneath the surface.

They are unmistakable proof
of two Roman breakwaters here

marking the entrance to
a vast military port that

housed a unit of
Praetorian Guards.

You can
see how large it is,

and it gives us a great
understanding of how important

this harbor truly was.

It's all the more evidence that Pliny had
some 6,000 men at his disposal.

NARRATOR: The evidence
of the harbor suggests

Pliny the Younger's
general account of events

during the early stages of the
eruption is so far accurate.

Pliny the Elder could have launched his
rescue ships from here.

To continue to explore
the truth behind the letters,

Jasmine next intends to
retrace the fleet's route

across the bay,
towards Herculaneum.

JASMINE: You can imagine the
chaos that Pliny the Elder was facing,

rushing around and
launching his rescue mission,

to rescue those people at
the foot of Mount Vesuvius.

NARRATOR: At Herculaneum,
Andrew wants to examine

the fragile remains of the
wooden boat discovered next to

the Praetorian Guard
on the ancient beach.

It could help determine if
he was one of Pliny's men.

ANDREW: So here, we've
got this extraordinary thing.

At Herculaneum, wood survives,

wood is preserved,
and that meant that this

is the only example of a boat found
in Pompeii and Herculaneum.

NARRATOR: The high-tech
support cradle gives Andrew

the chance to
study the boat up close.

ANDREW:
If you look carefully,

you see that there is,
there's no room for a mast.

So that means
it's got to be rowed.

This is a big boat!

NARRATOR: Some think this rowing boat
is a simple fishing vessel.

But it's big enough to
hold at least eight people and

Andrew believes
its size is a clue.

ANDREW: If
Admiral Pliny has said,

"Right, we're going to rescue
the people of Herculaneum,"

it makes sense to send
out a boat of this size.

So, I would like to think that this is
part of the rescue mission.

NARRATOR: The discovery of the
Praetorian Guard's skeleton,

next to the large boat, is
strong evidence that Pliny did

launch a rescue mission,
as his nephew later claimed.

This Praetorian
made it onto the beach,

but didn't make it out alive.

He died a horrific death,

in heat so powerful it
melded his sword to his bones.

To uncover exactly
what happened here,

the team must continue
the search for more evidence.

Pier Paolo Petrone has spent
most of his career studying

the bones found at Herculaneum.

PIER PAOLO: This adventure of studying,
analyzing and digging up

the relics of the victims,
for me, started in 1995.

NARRATOR: He's keen to
uncover as much as he can about

the fate of the people here.

PIER PAOLO: Herculaneum certainly
still holds much to discover.

NARRATOR: At the edge of
the archaeological site,

on what was once
the town's beach,

engineers building a wall
make a shocking discovery.

Pier Paolo was
immediately called to the scene,

as they have just uncovered a skeleton
buried in layers of volcanic debris,

close to where the
Praetorian Guard was found.

PIER PAOLO: This discovery
was an absolute novelty

because works have been going
on for many years on this beach.

NARRATOR: This is the first
new body found at Herculaneum

for more than two decades.

Pier Paolo uses a
low-pressure water jet

to carefully wash away
surrounding debris and

expose the bones for
an initial examination.

The discovery is so
significant the Park's director

oversees the excavation.

From the first study,
anthropological study, um,

we know that it was
a man aged between 40, 45,

and we will study his DNA
because we know the DNA of,

from all these victims, uh,

tell us something.

NARRATOR: Pier Paolo's team
carefully removes more debris

and uncovers wooden beams
lying across the body.

PIER PAOLO: Next to and on top of the
victim's body,

very large planks were found.

One plank in
particular covered the body.

They must have been from
the houses around here.

NARRATOR: The wooden beams are
evidence that something sudden

and catastrophic happened here,
with a force strong enough to

propel roofs across
the town, and onto the beach.

Analysis of the beam's position
on top of the body could reveal

if these were
the cause of death.

PIER PAOLO: It's very likely that many
more are under this wall.

But for now, we'll focus on this one,

as it's bound to give us a lot of information.

NARRATOR: The team use
a hand-held 3D scanner to

digitally record the position
of the skeleton in-situ,

before they remove the
remains for further study.

PIER PAOLO: We'll have to rebuild it
through a full 3D scan of the body

and what surrounded it and
then fully document the finding.

NARRATOR: This
new discovery could provide

more tantalizing clues to
Herculaneum's final moments.

The victim's location on
the ancient beach adds to

the team's understanding
of what happened here.

And this man was not
alone on the shoreline.

Years earlier, when
archaeologists were exploring

buried stone arches
outside the town,

they discovery
over 300 skeletons.

In front of one arch,
they found a middle-aged woman

with her jewelry.

Precious rings still
hanging off fingers.

Leaning against
a wall, a young woman.

Next to her, they
found tiny bones.

She was seven months pregnant.

2,000 years ago, these arches
were entrance to boathouses.

Analysis of how these
victims died could reveal

what happened in Herculaneum's
deadly final moments.

Fewer than 50 bodies
have been discovered

inside the town itself.

Most of the population must have
fled when neighboring Pompeii

was being battered by
falling volcanic rocks.

PIER PAOLO: So our question was, how come
all these people were here?

NARRATOR: The size and
solidity of the boathouses

offers Pier Paolo a clue to
why these people didn't flee.

PIER PAOLO: 17 years before the eruption
of 79 AD there was a major earthquake

which caused much
damage here in Herculaneum.

So, the Herculanians were
familiar with earthquakes.

People take refuge here on
the ancient shore in these rooms

because they know in this place, they
might be safe from earthquakes.

NARRATOR: Earthquakes often
occur before volcanic eruptions.

In 79 AD, those who chose not
to flee the town likely came to

these sturdy
boathouses for shelter.

Not knowing they
wouldn't be safe this time.

Examining the
positions of the skeletons,

Pier Paolo notices
something strange.

PIER PAOLO: The most important evidence,
which struck me right away,

was the peoples' posture.

It was different in Pompeii, where the
bodies showed sort of a defense position.

Here in Herculaneum, the positions of the
bodies were perfectly preserved

but absolutely devoid of any
sign of a conscious reaction.

NARRATOR: People at Herculaneum were
not found contorted and twisted,

like those at Pompeii.

The evidence suggests they
suffered a very different death.

Analyzing these skeletons
could uncover vital clues to

Herculaneum's final hours,

and how the aftermath of
the deadly eruption unfolded.

NARRATOR: On a boat
in the Bay of Naples,

Jasmine is tracing Pliny the Elder's
reported route from the ancient harbor,

towards Vesuvius.

JASMINE: We're now going
to cross the Bay of Naples,

as Pliny the Elder did with his
fleet to rescue those people at

the foot of Mount Vesuvius.

NARRATOR: According
to the ancient accounts,

the rescue ships
headed towards Herculaneum,

straight into the danger zone,

with Pliny the Elder
aboard observing the eruption.

But as they approached
the base of Vesuvius,

giant boulders propelled out of the
volcano covered the shoreline,

blocking large
vessels from landing.

So, Pliny diverted his
ships further south to Stabiae,

where he was greeted
by a close friend, Pomponianus,

and planned his return
to the base of the volcano

the next morning.

Jasmine reaches the modern shore
of Castellammare Di Stabia,

the location of ancient Stabiae.

JASMINE: After an unsuccessful
attempt to land at Herculaneum,

Pliny the Elder
lands here at Stabiae,

where the conditions
are much more favorable.

He immediately consoles
his friend, Pomponianus,

who seems terrified by the
events that are happening.

However, at this time,
it's still possible that those

stranded around the
foothills of Vesuvius

had a chance of survival.

NARRATOR: Pliny's
account holds up so far.

So there was still hope
for those at Herculaneum.

Praetorian Guards on
smaller boats could get through

the volcanic debris
and make it ashore.

But with the
volcanic stones raining down,

the danger was growing.

In his lab in Naples, Pier Paolo
continues his investigation of

how the people in Herculaneum's
boathouses were killed.

PIER PAOLO: This is the skull of an adult
male that was discovered inside chamber 10

where there were a lot
of people, 30 or 40 victims.

NARRATOR: Examining
the shattered skull,

he notices some
unusual markings.

PIER PAOLO: The internal and external
carbonization of the skull is interesting.

You can clearly see here, as well as
blackened margins,

clean breaks in the bone.

NARRATOR: The clean fractures
and charred edges reveal this

skull wasn't broken
by an external force,

like falling rocks
or a collapsing roof.

The evidence leads Pier Paolo to a much
more extraordinary conclusion.

PIER PAOLO: It is clear
that this skill exploded.

The brain boiled, there was an increase in
the intercranial pressure.

A hemorrhage which
instantly caused death.

NARRATOR: The cause of death
is swift and gruesome and is

not the only
shocking evidence he finds.

Analysis of a jaw also reveals

a strange
discoloration on the bones.

PIER PAOLO: Another interesting detail is
these red encrustations on this jaw.

These mineral residues show the presence
of a great quantity of iron oxide.

So this proves that there was an
evaporation of body tissues and fluids,

and of the blood.

NARRATOR: There's only one
thing that could cause skulls to

explode and blood to vaporize.

These are effects of a very high
temperature, probably around 500 degrees.

NARRATOR: Temperatures of
nearly 500 degrees Celsius,

1,000 degrees Fahrenheit,

could finally explain
Herculaneum's victims' poses

and the melded skeleton
of the Praetorian Guard.

PIER PAOLO: At Pompeii,
the body tissues remain intact

and we see these postures as if the people
were defending themselves

but actually this is
a post mortem posture

due to the shrinking and dehydration
of the muscle structure.

This does not
happen at Herculaneum

because the body tissues evaporate
rapidly, so this movement cannot occur.

NARRATOR: Pier Paolo's
investigation reveals that

the people in
the boathouses, and the soldier,

weren't crushed
by falling objects,

then covered with ash in which
their bodies slowly contorted

after death,
like many at Pompeii.

Death here was swift,
caused by an extreme heat that

vaporized flesh and
boiled brains, in an instant.

What caused the extreme temperature that
devastated Herculaneum but not Pompeii?

Looking for an answer,
Pier Paolo examines another

shocking discovery.

PIER PAOLO: This was the most important
discovery of my career.

NARRATOR: At Herculaneum,

Andrew is investigating an
incredibly preserved structure

in the center of town.

This is
an amazing building.

NARRATOR: Archaeologists made
an incredible discovery here.

So, in here we've
got a little side room and...

(laughs)

This, this was one
of the big, big surprises of,

of this excavation because,

on the whole there, we
don't find skeletons here.

But here was one
astonishing skeleton.

NARRATOR: Very few bodies
have been found in Herculaneum,

other than those
at the boathouse.

The man discovered here
had his flesh vaporized,

just like them.

Today, his remains are
preserved beneath plastic

for protection
from the elements.

One thing you can notice is that
this is a proper bed place.

You, you see, there's wood
going around all the sides,

so this is an official bedroom.

But why is he still here?

There's an
enormous eruption going on,

why hasn't he fled
like everyone else?

NARRATOR: Andrew explores
the rest of the building,

clues to this man's identify could
explain his gruesome death.

It's always great
when you've got an inscription

it gives you a clue
and it starts with words,

sacred to Augustus.

And then, there's this
wonderful detail that,

at the opening of
the building, Canem Dedarum,

they gave a dinner and
who is the dinner for?

This is the crucial clue.

Decurionbus et Augustabilibus,

for the Decurions
and the Augustales.

So, these are the two most important
groups of people in town,

and this must be the
College of the Augustales.

NARRATOR: The
College of the Augustales

was a place for a cult-like
worship of dead emperors,

an important practice in
Roman culture at this time.

This association could explain
the identity of the victim

discovered in the bed.

ANDREW: Here, we've
got this major public building

and it's at the
heart of the town.

So, it matters looking
after the building properly,

and that's why you've got a
guardian permanently there with

his own bed place.

NARRATOR: As a custodian, this
man may have been forbidden from

leaving the
building while on duty,

even in emergencies.

So maybe they told him,

"You stay here.
Vesuvius may erupt, you stay."

"Yes, boss."

NARRATOR: As archaeologists
worked to excavate

the custodian's remains,

they discovered strange black
fragments surrounding his skull.

Pier Paolo was part of the team.

Intrigued, he took them back to
his laboratory to find out more.

PIER PAOLO: I was there cleaning the skull
that was completely covered in ash.

Suddenly I saw a shimmering glassy
fragment and I wondered what it was.

NARRATOR: Pier Paolo needs a
special microscope to examine

the strange fragments.

Hi Alessia.

Hi Pier Paolo.

NARRATOR: Using this
high powered stereo-microscope,

Pier Paolo can view the
surface of the fragments

in incredible detail.

PIER PAOLO: Here we can see the structure
of this glassy matter in detail.

The biochemical analysis
of this matter has shown that

certain proteins have been
preserved perfectly inside it

which are typically
found in brain tissue

and this gives us the confirmation that
this is a vitrified brain.

So we know that this matter
is the brain of the custodian.

NARRATOR: The biochemical and
microscopic analysis reveals

this main's brain
was turned into glass.

It’s evidence a strange
phenomenon hit the town.

PIER PAOLO: This is a
very important discovery

because it means that in Herculaneum, at
the beginning of the eruption

there was an extremely
rapid temperature drop

because only an extremely rapid
temperature drop can cause vitrification.

NARRATOR: The custodian of the
College of the Augustales was

killed by extreme heat
which vaporized his flesh

and melted his brain.

Rapid cooling then turned
his molten brain to glass.

Analysis of the volcanic debris
at Herculaneum could finally

explain what caused this
extreme and deadly heat.

NARRATOR: Ten miles
south of Herculaneum,

in Castellammare Di Stabia,

Jasmine's continuing
her investigation of

Pliny the Younger's account.

According to his letters,
this coastline is where

Pliny the Elder took
shelter for the night.

JASMINE: It's
during his sleep that things

really take a turn
for worse at Vesuvius.

Pliny tells us
that there is cinere, ashes.

Mixtisque pumicibus,
which means mixed with pumice.

Vastisquer tremore, it
means very, very big tremors

are happening at this stage.

So now, we're entering a
violent stage of the eruption.

NARRATOR: Fearing for
their lives, Pliny the Elder,

and his friends,

fled Stabiae with pillows
strapped to their heads,

to protect them from the
falling stones and cinders.

They headed down to the shore to see if
they could escape by boat,

but found the sea
too violent to set sail.

According to
Pliny the Younger, his uncle,

out of options,
lay down on a sail and

suffocated to death
from toxic volcanic fumes.

The drama of the
letters here is really clear.

We simply are
told corpus inventum,

that his corpus was found
the next day on the beach.

NARRATOR: Modern science has
proven volcanoes release gases

such as Sulphur Dioxide
and Carbon Dioxide,

which can be harmful to humans.

Inhalation of these noxious
gases could have played a role

in Pliny the Elder’s
death at Stabiae.

Jasmine's investigation reveals
that Pliny the Younger's account

of events,
following the eruption,

appear accurate.

JASMINE: As a piece
of literary evidence,

these letters are amazing.

His accounts are
really very accurate,

if we connect them
to the archaeology.

But we also learn about what
happened to these individuals in

intense and graphic detail.

NARRATOR: At Herculaneum,

Giuseppe heads to
the edge of the ancient site,

to a tunnel excavated into the solidified
volcanic debris, known as tuff.

So now we
are inside this tuff.

NARRATOR: He’s hunting
for the conclusive evidence

of what deadly
phenomenon struck this town.

Locked within the tuff,

Giuseppe spots the
clue to what happened here.

As you can see here,
we have a wood, carbonized wood,

and this indicates that
there was no air, no oxygen.

NARRATOR: The natural phenomenon
that struck Herculaneum consumed

all the oxygen in the air.

Without oxygen,
wooden objects couldn't burn.

Instead, they were
turned into carbon.

This explains the remarkable preservation
of the wooden screen and bed.

Giuseppe heads outside to
continue his investigation.

Well, you can see these tiles
and bricks transported, engulfed,

and moved as a cloud...

GIUSEPPE: but with
very high temperature.

It is the
killer pyroclastic surge.

NARRATOR: Giuseppe’s
investigation shows that

the deadly phenomenon
that destroyed Herculaneum was

a giant cloud of
searing hot gas and ash that

came crashing down
the volcano’s slopes.

(rumbling)

It’s known as a
pyroclastic surge.

Around noon,
Mount Vesuvius erupted,

hurling ash, pumice, and toxic gases more
than 20 miles into the atmosphere.

The following day, the cloud
of gas and ash collapsed and

barreled down the
sides of the volcano.

The 1,000 degree Fahrenheit wave

hit Herculaneum
in less than five minutes,

and blasted the
flesh off people's bones.

Those left at the town
were killed in an instant.

After several waves
of pyroclastic surges,

Herculaneum was buried
under 82 feet of debris.

It's unbelievably gruesome
the moment of destruction.

But what is catastrophe for
them is wonderful for us because

it's that destruction
that preserves for us very,

very vivid traces of
what life was like just then.

NARRATOR: Herculaneum's
final moments are slowly

being uncovered.

The evidence discovered by
archaeologists reveals that

hundreds of citizens
fled to the beach,

where brave soldiers
attempted a rescue mission.

Blood-stained bones and fused metal
weapons reveal an intense heat that

killed these
unsuspecting victims.

And, miraculously, preserved
wooden objects are proof of

the rare pyroclastic flow that buried this
town for two millennia.

As experts continue to investigate this
preserved ancient wonder,

their discoveries
will shed new light onto

one of history's
deadliest eruptions.

Captioned by
Cotter Media Group.