Pompeii: The New Dig

Episode 1

At Pompeii, archaeologists begin the biggest dig in a generation. Told through the drama of the dig, the episode imagines what life was like in Pompeii before the eruption. The episode also looks at the horror faced by the residents as Vesuvius erupted in AD 79.

A New Chapter

1m 42s

Archaeologists begin the biggest dig in a generation. They are excavating a previously untouched area of Pompeii called Insula 10. This was a wealthy part of the city and they are excavating what they think was the home of a wealthy Pompeiian.

Previews + Extras

  • Valeria Makes a Shocking Discovery: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Valeria Makes a Shocking Discovery

    S1 E1 - 1m 59s

    In a small room at the front of the building, anthropologist Dr. Valeria Amoretti is carefully excavating the remains of two bodies. They are skeletons of two women who have been crushed by a collapsing ceiling.

  • Eruption: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Eruption

    S1 E1 - 2m 1s

    Volcanologist Professor Chris Jackson describes the warning signs in the hours before the eruption in AD 79. He then explains how the eruption blew the top of Mount Vesuvius clean off, sending a column of ash and rock high into the sky.

  • Pickaxe: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Pickaxe

    S1 E1 - 1m 38s

    In a small room, the archaeologists discover 2000-year-old workman’s tools just where the workman left them at the time of the eruption. They include hoes and a pickaxe that has hardly changed since AD 79.

  • Pizza: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Pizza

    S1 E1 - 2m 4s

    The team of archaeologists unearth a lavishly decorated fresco. The wall painting seems to show what looks like an ancient pizza. It’s a first for Pompeii, one of the oldest-ever depictions of a pizza.

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.