All language subtitles for Ultimate Treasure Countdown Series 1 3of6 The Deadliest Volcano 1080p

Bettany: Pompeii, a
unique ancient roman
city trapped in time.

In the space of a
single day and night,

Close on 2000 years ago, this
whole place was devastated by

What has to be one of the most
infamous volcanic eruptions in

The whole of human history.

It was horrific.

But it also preserved one of
the most astonishing treasures

From the ancient world.

I am professor bettany hughes.

I'm a historian and I
spend my life traveling
the world to investigate

The stories of the cultures
and civilizations of the past,

And I love having the chance to
share what I found with you.

(theme music plays).

In southern Italy, 15 miles
from naples in the shadow of

Deadly mount vesuvius,
world-famous pompeii attracts

Three and a half
million tourists every year.

It was a hot-spot in
the ancient world too.

Famed for its gorgeous
architecture and feel-good vibe.

I'm gonna walk the streets of
pompeii to inhabit the ancient

City and discover the greatest
treasures left here just where

They stood on that fateful,
petrifying day in 79ad.

So, where better to start
than a treasure that pulled

Together the rich
and poor of the city,

The free and its slaves.

A treasure that dates right
back to pompeii's origins and

Was a backbone of the
city for centuries.

What did the
romans ever do for us,

Is a famous gag,
um, and, of course,

The romans were not
single-handedly responsible

For the whole of
human civilization,

But one thing you cannot
argue with is they knew
how to build a road.

Um, there were roads right the
way across the roman empire,

But this is the most
complete in existence.

This is the via
dell'abbondanza,

Pompeii's main shopping street
and our treasure number ten.

It gives us a vivid insight
into what life was like for

An ordinary pompeiian
and tells its own history
of this amazing city.

When this place was excavated
and this lovely lady was found

On the edge of
this fountain here,

Um, wrongly identified as
the goddess of prosperity or

Abundance because she's
got this horn of plenty,

This cornucopia next to her,
this whole street was named by

The excavators
abundance street.

Given that it's a
shopping street,

It feels pretty appropriate.

Abundance street runs through
pompeii for over half a mile

An artery
linking the key sites.

As well as being the
main thoroughfare,

It's one of the very
oldest in the settlement.

This is a map of
ancient pompeii,

Um, and if you look at
abundance street you can see

That its development
really helps us understand the

Evolution of the city.

Um, so this is the first
section that was built and at

That point there were
just six shops on it,

But then look at how it expands
from the 2nd-century bc onwards

And by this time there
are around 58 shops here.

This was an ancient shopping
mall because the romans really

Loved to shop and
whatever you needed,

This street had it.

So, we get a sense of
what mattered to the

Women and men of the city.

A bakery.

A barber shop.

A pub, with a
brothel at the back.

Art supplies.

Wine and oil.

Bronze goods.

A laundry.

And for the sailors here.
Ship supplies.

You could enjoy all the fruits
of the burgeoning roman empire.

And if you'd found all
that shopping exhausting,

Then the good news is that
there were at least 27 places

Here along the road
that you could, um,

Pick up some fast food and
one of my favorite ones is,

Uh, called the inn of
the totius placidus.

So, let's go and have a look.

These snack bars open directly
onto the street and were the

Perfect pitstop for busy
pompeiian's looking to grab

Lunch on the go.

Or a takeaway on the way home.

I'm so chuffed to
get into this place,

I just think it's
super, super cool.

Um, so this is a brilliant
example of a roman
convenience food store.

So, in each of these pots
you'd have had a different

Foodstuff, uh, chickpeas
or lentils or olives or,

Or sometimes wine.

Uh, so you can imagine the
customers bundling up here to

Grab their lunch on the go.

And these are
these lovely little,

Uh, round holes, set into
the counter and what they were

Used for was the coins, uh,
were checked up against so

They weren't
using forged coins.

The owner, fortotius, was
clearly a shrewd businessman.

Judging from the fine frescos
and well-appointed outdoor

Dining room found in his
house behind the shop,

This little fast food
business was generating
some serious cash.

When this place was excavated,
a pot of coins was found on

The counter, 1600 of them.

I mean, so that is a whole
chunk of change and it's

Perfectly possible that
that was just the takings of,

Of the morning
before the eruptions.

That is a lot of
wine and olives.

In fact, new discoveries
show pompeii was a bit
of a foodie paradise.

Open-air roof-top cafes have
just been discovered here.

The evidence on abundance
street helps us experience the

Character of the city which
thrived thanks to its location

Because not only was the
street an artery for pompeii,

It was also the gateway
to something essential to

Pompeii's existence.

It's funny 'cause we
always think of pompeii,

Um, as this, kind
of, dusty town,

But actually it was
all about the sea.

Uh, there were sea views
everywhere and it was served

By this really bustling port.

Man: Bonjourno.

Bettany: Hi.
Bonjourno. Bonjourno.

You remember earlier I found
a shop for ship supplies?

Well, before the eruption,
the mediterranean practically

Lapped at the end
of abundance street.

Back in the roman times,
these waterways would've been

Absolutely humming
and buzzing with trade.

Uh, so, there were imports
from all kinds of places, um,

Exotic spices would've
come from southern india
and the himalayas,

Uh, there was silk from china
and wild animals, even,

Would be brought here
to fight in the arena.

Goods from around the
world poured into pompeii.

Many heading for my
retail therapy treasure,

Abundance street.

But there was something
else that drove the
economy of the town.

Something else that would've
been imported on boats like

This, would've been slaves.

Um, and we absolutely must
never forget that the great

Roman civilization
was founded on slavery.

The roman empire commanded the
biggest slave population in

Human history.

As many as 200 million
people were enslaved
across its lifespan.

As they invaded
new territories,

They made those populations
subject and turned them into

What they described
as working tools,

The slaves that powered
the engine of imperialism.

And, it was those slaves that
allowed people who lived free

In cities like pompeii to
enjoy their privileged and

Comfortable lifestyle.

Slaves weren't all terribly
treated but they'd have lifted

Every stone you see
here in the city,

Carried every basket
of bread and laid every
flag of this road.

Slaves were also the designated
delivery drivers of pompeii.

Ruts in the road up to ten
inches deep reveal thousands

Of carts rumbled up and down
abundance street delivering

Goods and taxiing shoppers.

The pavements here are around
30 centimeters above the

Roadway, um, and that's
why you have these amazing

Stepping stones to cross
over and frankly it is a very,

Very good thing that the
romans put these here because

It's lovely and clean today
but in its hey-day it would've

Been pretty gross here.

Um, so, we know there was
sewage and rubbish and all

Kinds of other unmentionable
things slewing around.

With 27 food joints
on abundance street,

The stench would've been rank.

Anchovies, port fat,
tripe, green weevils, eels

Have all turned up in
the archaeological
record around here.

My day walking this
iconic street is almost done,

But I'm about to have the
chance to travel back in time.

I should just explain
also, I'm just getting a,

You know, a
beginner's guide to vr,

Which I have done,
embarrassingly.

Okay.

Man: Controller here.
Bettany: Oh, yeah.

Man: Uh, yeah.
Hit, hit go.

Bettany: Oh, oh.

Oh. Hang on.

Oh, my god.

A forward-thinking team at the
university of arkansas have

Created a virtual reality
replica of the street based on

Hard archaeological evidence.

This is the strangest
feeling I've gotta say.

I spend my life trying not to
fall over in pompeii and

I'm now virtually walking along
the raised pavement and it

Feels like I'm gonna fall off.

As I settle into
this virtual world,

Abundance street is
alive once again.

There's a cart, so a
wagon, which, of course,

Would've left all those
famous ruts in the road

And loads of washing.

It's exactly like naples.

Everything from the shop
fronts to the snack bars

Have been reinstated here.

That is the most
extraordinary experience.

So, really interesting
to see to, um,

Get the sense of
the colors in the via,

Which I kind of imagined but
then seeing it in front of you

Is brilliant.

Uh, it's really cool.

Abundance street transports us
to a world we can recognize.

Shop owners checking
their customers change.

Workers grabbing a
quick bite on the go.

Deliveries making their way
through traffic and crowds.

Abundance street is a real
treasure of the roman world

And it deserves to be on our
countdown because it gives us

Such a rich picture of the
ordinary people of pompeii.

Archaeology of the past and
technology of the future can

Short circuit us here into the
lives of the real women and

Men of the street.

The shopping habits of
everyday pompeiians weren't so

Different to our own as
was their love of pets.

We know that the people here
relied on their animals as

Many of us do today and so
I think you're going to

Enjoy our next treasure,
number nine.

Follow me.

Normally visitors aren't
allowed into this house,

Which makes this a real treat.

This house right in the heart
of ancient pompeii is one of

The most intriguing survivors
from the eruption and

Let me explain why.

So, it's relatively modest,
it's not one of the biggest,

Swankiest of
homes in the city...

But it hides a
domestic masterpiece.

Now, the artwork
I've come to see is,

On the face of it,
quite simple but it has
its own visceral power

And that is why it's one of
our treasures of pompeii.

It's over here and it's
one of the most celebrated,

Imitated, replicated
artworks in the whole world.

It's the cave canem,
beware the dog mosaic.

Inspiring millions
of modern doormats,

It's treasure number nine
on our pompeii countdown.

Sorry, I've just gotta, I've
just gotta show you something.

So, I'm here talking
about this dog treasure,

Look whose popped in to,
um, take part in the action.

It's one of
pompeii's dogs, uh,

They hang out here the whole
time and they're here before

Opening hours and once
everybody's gone home but it's

Almost identical to
the cave canem mosaic.

That is just too uncanny.

It is literally
life imitating art.

(kissing noises).

Hello. Hello, beautiful.

I really love this
for so many reasons,

Partly because of the story
it tells and partly because of

The skill of its making.

Um, so, so just
look at this mosaic.

It's made up of hundreds
and hundreds of tiny tesserae,

Uh, which are
little cubes of stone.

It could take a team of highly
skilled craftsmen a whole week

To create a mosaic like this.

Every single piece hand cut
and laid in situ as the owners

Watch them work magic
in front of their eyes.

Just look at how the
artist has conjured up
this ferocious animal.

The artist used these little
red chips of stone inside to,

Kind of, conjure up the inside
of the dog's slavering mouth.

I mean, this is
absolutely not just a lapdog.

This is a working dog
with its eyes focused,

Its teeth bared, it's
straining at its chain.

It's really ferocious.

It's really,
really intimidating.

A warning to anyone brave or
foolish enough to try to come

Into the house uninvited.

The cave canem mosaic was
right at the front door.

It was very definitely there
to guard the front of the

House and isn't it brilliant
that that's what pompeii's dog

Is still doing today.

Even though it's fast asleep.

Just like the beware of the
dog signs we have outside our

Homes today, this
mosaic is saying,

Watch out. Guard dog at home,

Because while pompeii was often
a delightful place to live,

It also had a
decidedly dangerous side.

This was a place where
there were many crimes.

Often people didn't go out
at night and there was a real

Danger of intruders
and burglars and attack,

So this isn't
just a, kind of, um,

Fantasy, this was a society
where there could be trouble

Around any corner.

Jewels like pompeii attracted
thieves and because the romans

Were very superstitious too,
images like the cave canem

Were also thought to
ward off bad luck.

A bit like people use
the evil eye today.

I think we always imagine the
roman empire to be advanced

And hyper-civilized, but
actually there was a real

Issue of street crime, uh, there
was hardly any police force,

There was no street
lighting to speak of and so

There were real dangers
at night and we know that,

Um, crimes were
pretty frequent here.

Burglary and muggings
took place regularly,

So the owners of our treasure
number nine clearly felt

Worried enough to get a fierce
dog to protect house and home.

And our cave canem wasn't
the only watchdog in pompeii.

It's packed with similar
ferocious mosaics and,

Shockingly, there are the
remains of real dogs trapped

By the eruption.

Bettany: By carefully
examining bones of 113 dogs

Found in pompeii and then
comparing the results with

These mosaics, researchers
have been able to piece

Together the identity
of these canine guards.

There's a lot of debate about
the breed of the dog in the

Cave canem mosaic.

Hello. Hello. Oh.

Oh, what a
lovely little thing.

And, of course,
on the face of it,

That mosaic looks
a bit like this.

He... Ah, hello, lovely.

This is clearly a
charming dog but not a,

A very effective guard dog.

And the results of those bone
tests tell us that the direct

Descendants of the ancient
guard dogs are still with us.

(barking).

Man: No.

Bettany: This, I'm told, is
actually what the cave canem

Has genetically inside.

So, this is a, a
neapolitan mastiff.

Meet trevis and
his owner giovanni.

His breed is a popular
guard dog in Italy today.

Hello. Hello.
Oh, oh my gosh.

Giovanni: (inaudible).

Bettany: That's very, um,
oh, that's very slobbery.

Hmm, lovely.

So, um, this
extraordinary dog here,

They're actually are
descended from an extinct
dog called a molossus.

And we think that the
cave canum was a molossus dog,

Um, they were used by the
romans as hunting dogs and as

Guard dogs and as dogs of war.

So, they'd strap, uh, armor onto
them and send them out to fight.

The molossus were
famously loyal to and
protective of their owners.

The cave canem household
probably had a dog similar to

Trevis chained up inside.

I'm suddenly feeling
pleased that I only
met the mosaic version.

Yes, you're beautiful.

Urgh, that's so wet.

I'm not feeling, um,
threatened particularly just,

Like, this is a fight I would
not win had I entered the

House of the ancestor
of lovely trevis here.

I bet you don't ever
have any burglars here.

Giovanni: No.

Bettany: So, trevis... Oh,
thank... Oh, it's on my...

Trevis' balls are
on my, on my ankle.

And that wasn't the only
excitement of the day.

Oh. Oh. Oh.

All kinds of
surprises this afternoon.

How old is this one?

Giovanni:
Quarantaquattro giorni.

Bettany: 44 days,
it's a baby guard dog. Oh.

Oh, look, here's another one.

Giovanni: Cleopatra.
Bettany: Cleopatra.

Are they brother...
Are they brother and sister?

Giovanni: Sister and brother.

Bettany: Can you imagine being
in the forum or walking down

Abundance street and being
offered one of these for sale?

How could you possibly resist?

They're so beautiful. They're...

Molto bello. Bella, bello...

Giovanni: Grazie.
Bettany: Prego.

The cave canem mosaic is my
treasure number nine because

It reminds me of the ancient
special relationship between

Man and his best friend.

And, in fact, the
often-overlooked importance of

Animals in the daily life
of roman towns like pompeii.

An importance that is
inadvertently commemorated by

This mosaic being one of the
most replicated bits of art

Anywhere in the world.

An exploration of pompeii is
always an exciting but often a

Pretty hot experience.

Fortunately, for visitors
ancient and modern alike,

One thing you can't fail
to notice is the fact that

There's fresh
water all around.

So far, 25 public fountains
have been found here in

Pompeii and that is really
significant because in the

Ancient world having a supply
of fresh running water really

Proved that you'd made it as a
culture and somewhere else in

The city that you'd have
found running water were the

Fabulous baths and my next
treasure is one of those.

At number eight on my
countdown of the top 10

Treasures of pompeii, it's
the wonderful stabian baths.

So far, five public bathhouses
have been excavated in pompeii

And the stabian are the
most lavish of them all.

Coming to the baths
seems to have been a way the

Pompeiian's got a sense of,
of all being in it together.

To kick things off and
work up a really good sweat,

Um, the first stop would've
been the palestra here,

The gymnasium, 'cause the
thing is the romans really did

Believe that a healthy
body meant a healthy mind.

The stabian baths were more
than just a place to scrub up,

They were somewhere everyone
from the very poorest to major

Players could come
to get fit and clean.

A bonding experience all
in this exquisite setting.

If you think about it, you'd
be sitting stark naked next to

Somebody who had much more
wealth than you or a lot less,

So the whole
thing felt like a,

Kind of, um,
collective experience.

Once you were ready, it
was time to face the heat.

So, this is the caldarium,
the hot room, and

Oh my goodness it would've been
absolutely sweltering in here.

Um, the walls are really
cleverly designed so that

They're all insulated and then
down here in this beautiful

Marble plunge pool hot
water would've gushed out.

I mean, exactly
like a, like a,

Kinda, modern-day jacuzzi.

The original 2000-year-old
stabian baths but when this

Place was in use, the floor
was so hot you'd have worn

Platformed wooden
shoes to prevent burns.

You know, I just
love coming here.

I think it's partly because we
know this is where women would,

Would literally let their hair
down and loosen up a bit.

With pastries
and wine on offer,

The baths were the perfect
place to settle in for a good

Old gossip and to
check one another out.

If you just think about it,
if these walls could talk,

Oh my goodness they
would have quite a few
pompeiian tales to tell.

Once all that steamy
chat got too much,

You could cool off
in the cold room,

The frigidarium, under this
lovely domed ceiling and we

Think this dome is the
oldest in roman Italy.

And it has another
remarkable claim to fame.

Bathhouses with traditional
timber ceilings posed a

Serious fire risk, so using
the local volcanic ash that

Would later bury pompeii,
the romans invented a new

Fire-resistant building
material to build this roof.

Concrete.

After you'd finished bathing,
it was time to hit the

Tepidarium where an array
of rather terrifying beauty

Treatments were on offer.

I should tell you that all
kinds of really disgusting

Things have been
found in baths.

So, uh, lots of equipment
for cleaning out your ears and

Razors and we have
contemporary accounts as well

Of people complaining about
the terrible howls and noise

As, uh, women and men had
their armpit hair removed.

So, there'd have been
human hair everywhere.

Um, so, you have to
imagine, you know,

The water in there
being a bit like some
kind of human body soup.

One of the popular things to
get done while visiting the

Baths was to have your hair
styled and my goodness their

Coifs were quite something.

We can actually date sculptures
of women because we know

What hairstyles were fashionable
in particular decades.

So, in the name of
historical investigation,

I'm heading to the salon.

Uh, so, basically, I want
something slightly, uh, unusual.

Massimo: Very unusual.
Bettany: Ancient roman styles.

Massimo: Ancient roman style.
Yes, some...

Bettany: Yeah?
Massimo: Kind of...

But maybe this one will
be the best for your hair.

Bettany: Arguably
the least ludicrous.

The heated tongs massimo is
using are actually remarkably

Similar to roman fire-heated
tongs discovered in places

Like the stabian baths.

There are some
really funny, uh,

Stories though, actually of
these heated tongs going wrong

And they're
burning the hair off.

Massimo: Burning
the hair. Correct.

Bettany: So... Ooh,
that feels quite hot.

There's a fantastic
quote, I think it's enika,

It says there are as many
hairstyles for women as there

Are acorns on an oak tree
and then he does this...

This'll be very good for me,
and then he says but the...

You know, the very best
hairstyles are the ones where

Your hair looks a
bit bedraggled.

Nice.

Massima: Feels good.
Bettany: Yeah.

Roman society was quite ageist

And many women worried
about going grey.

As a preventative, they
slapped on a night-time paste

Made from herbs and
earthworms and if that failed,

They'd head to the baths
for a quick touch up.

Leeches steeped in wine if
you wanted to go dark or

Pigeon dung mixed with urine
if you fancied being blonde.

Oh, it's so relaxing.

Massimo: Great.

Now, we need some gold.

Bettany: Yes. Ah.

Can I see the back?

Massimo: Yes.

Bettany: Oh, look
at that. Amazing.

Massimo: And that
will be too (inaudible).

Bettany: My daughters are
gonna be so embarrassed by this.

Massimo: No,
she's gonna love it.

Bettany: They're not.
They're not.

I promise you they're not.

So, if I go out
in the streets,

People hopefully will say
to me, oh that's so...

Massimo: It's groovy.

Bettany: That's so
mid-1st-century ad.

Um, I don't think I'm ever
gonna do this again in my

Life, so can I take a photo?

Massimo: Absolutely, yes.
Bettany: Cheese.

I have to say, I don't
think I'll be rushing back for

Another ancient roman hairdo,
but it's a delight exploring

The baths because it tells us
about the daily lives of women

As well as men, often
written out of history.

The stabian baths are a
treasure for me not just

Because they reveal so much
about roman engineering but

Actually what they tell
us about the roman psyche.

Um, body image and an
obsession with body image

Really was nothing new.

They put themselves through
agony to achieve hair-free

Skin and just like our
gyms and spas today,

They used a workout as an
excuse for a good old chat.

The next treasure in our
top ten countdown might seem

Stately on the surface, but
it holds clues to even more

Intimate bodily functions
of the ancient pompeiians.

To live in this town and to be
part of the grand roman empire,

Then the next place
we're heading is the

Very best place to be.

It's my next treasure,
the forum of pompeii.

At number seven
on my countdown,

A place that's
really close to my heart.

This pedestrianized square
takes up an area the size of

The white house right in
the center of pompeii,

Flanked by landmark
public buildings.

It was the nerve center of the
city and the place to be seen.

So, I've wangled my way up
onto the temple of jupiter

Here to get an overview.

Everyone from all walks
of life spent time here,

From slaves to
merchants to aristocrats,

So this was somewhere where
you really got a sense of

Where you belonged
in the city but also,

Crucially, that you belonged
to something greater than

Yourself, the
idea that was rome.

The mighty roman empire
stretching from britain
to the middle east.

In order to unite
and wow its subjects,

The romans created a brand
that could be replicated

Right across their
ginormous territories.

In each city was a showpiece
advertising roman power,

The forum.

This really was the
beating heart of the place.

It was somewhere that really
mattered to the pompeiians but

What's quite ironic is
actually this forum was just

Like almost any other
right across the roman empire.

That's rome
being really clever.

It's saying wherever you
are, anywhere in the empire,

You are still part of us.

Crowds of roman citizens would
come to forums just like this

One every day to
hear the latest news,

Seal business deals and
make offerings to the gods.

And there's even evidence of
what the people milling around

Here ate, wore and loved.

Archaeologist luigi bafoni has
invited me to his lab to take

A look at some
extraordinary finds.

So, these are the bones of a
little monkey that would've

Been here as a pet.

It's very, sort
of, typical bread.

It's almost like tear and share
there's... They... The...

You've had these indentations
so you could rip it open.

So, this is a leather
handbag, but you can see the,

Um, the designs, the flower
designs that have been punched

Into the leather, I mean,
just like you'd get today.

This evidence of pompeiian
life is just so special but

There's one thing that
ordinary romans from all walks

Of life did together here
that frankly doesn't appeal.

Now, there was a lot that went
on in the forum that was very

Noble and
uplifting and, you know,

Civically satisfying, um, but
you could also satisfy your

Baser instincts here and
particularly in this little

Spot that I've got
special access to.

Um, so the romans had a very
different idea of privacy than

We do, and they used to often
go to the loo altogether and

This is pompeii's,
uh, communal latrine.

So, they'd have sat along, um,
benches with big holes in here.

There was a lovely
flushing channel to,

Kind of, get rid of
things and we know from,

Uh, written accounts that
people loved to talk about

Business and gossip and all
kinds of things while they

Were relieving themselves.

As luxurious as these
toilets were for the time,

I still can't get on board
with the roman version

Of a loo roll.

A communal sponge on a stick.

And I'm sorry to
be really, really,

Really gross, but this
is evidence from pompeii,

So I thought I'd
share it with you.

Uh, we know that,
um, in their diet,

Here particularly, they ate a
lot of chickpeas and lentils

And figs and the very latest
evidence tells us they were

Big fans of melons
and cucumber as well.

So, oh my god, it must've
been really all going on here.

In fact, getting caught short
in pompeii was a real issue.

One wonderful fresco from
the city warns a cacator,

To keep his wits about him as
he answers the call of nature.

One of the reasons the forum
is so rich is because you get

A sense of the grit as well
as the glory that was rome.

The fantastic thing about it
is that you can also hear the

Voices of ordinary pompeiians
because they left their mark

All across these walls.

Most of their graffiti has
sadly worn away but some of

The best examples
have been recorded.

They provide such a valuable
insight into the often

Vindictive minds
of the ancients.

A particularly
charming one, um,

That says I hope your
hemorrhoids rub together so

That they become
more and more painful.

There's some pretty
good homespun wisdom,

If you leave a
problem and ignore it,

It will only get bigger.

But there's also a really
lovely line and it says,

I cannot believe that these
walls are still standing and

They haven't crumbled under
the weight of all the tedious

Thoughts of all the
tedious writers who've

Left their graffiti here.

So, it's a
brilliant little bit of,

Um, ancient roman irony.

It's the graffiti of the
pompeii forum that really

Clinches it for me.

This was the place in the city
and mirrored in every city

Right across the roman empire
where people felt a real sense

Of belonging.

The forum makes it onto my
list of the top 10 treasures

Of pompeii because it short
circuits us into the lives of

The women and men who filled
this incredible city with such

Wonderful energy.

People who knew they were
individuals but who also knew

That they were part of the
grand ambitious project that

Was the roman empire.

Next in our top 10
treasures of pompeii,

I'll be coming face to face
with those who lost their

Lives in the disaster.

Of

Pompeii on the trail
of my next treasure.

This is one of the main
streets that leads in and out

Of the city and at the time
of the eruption we think it

Would've been rammed with
people desperately trying to

Escape the carnage.

Um, when
archaeologists excavated,

They found a particular
group all huddled together.

And among them was one
individual who centuries later

Would change how we see
the victims of pompeii.

It's my treasure number six.

But before I introduce you, let
me explain how the story starts.

As vesuvius erupted, um, it
shed this huge layer of ash

Right across the city and the
whole region but there were

Thousands of
people trapped inside.

As the ash
hardened it formed a,

Kind of, shell and gradually
as the bodies decomposed,

Uh, they left
these curious voids,

Uh, kind of,
human-shaped holes inside.

All that was left inside
was skeletons and bones of

Pompeii's victims.

When archaeologists later came
across these cavities in the

Ash layer, they
poured in plaster,

Waited for it to set and then
extracted these desperately

Sad human forms with
the skeleton set inside.

This process went some
way to resurrect the men
and women of pompeii,

Immortalizing the
outline of their bodies,

The clothes they wore and
the objects they carried.

Our next treasure is a special
example of this technique and

Rare in being allowed
to travel outside Italy.

I caught up with the cast at
the ashmolean museum in oxford

To find out more about
the person who lies inside.

When this victim was
discovered back in 1984,

The skeleton was so fragile
and delicate archaeologists

Were worried using plaster
would damage the bones,

So they had to come up
with a brand new technique.

What was poured
inside the void was wax.

This was then
covered with plaster,

The wax was melted out and
then inside it was replaced

With basically a
kind of glue, um,

An epoxy resin, um, and the
wonderful thing about this is

It's much kinder to the
human remains inside,

To the bone material.

The transparency of the
resin allows us to see that

This is a woman.

We can see inside the cast, so
we can read what's going on.

Um, so have a look, you can
see her feet here and the

Legs, there's her kneecap.

Traveling up
through her body there,

Her arms in this
really, kind of,

Typical position.

When she was first discovered,

She was called
skeleton number 15

But we now refer to
her as the resin lady.

I think we've just got to
remember that this isn't a

Sculpture, it's
not an artifact,

It's not a, a find on
display in a museum,

This is a real individual.

This is a real woman.

I really want to know more
about this woman's life.

Luckily, the resin makes
it much easier to x-ray.

So, I'm meeting doctor curtis
offiah who can piece together

The clues from these x-rays
to discover who this was and

Exactly how she died.

One of the remarkable
things about this method of

Preservation is how it
allows us to really read

The bone evidence inside.

So, what do these
x-rays tell you about this,

This poor woman?

Curtis: So, looking at the
hip joints there's no advanced

Wear and tear, so it's
certainly not an elderly adult

Skeleton and so it had to
be probably in the mid-30s.

Bettany: It seems that the
resin lady made the most of

Pompeii's party
town reputation.

Some scientists think the
cavities in her teeth suggest

She indulged in the wining
and dining that pompeii had to

Offer but the x-rays also
offer shocking clues to

The resin lady's frantic and
tragic last moments of life.

I'll tell you what my eyes are
drawn to is this lovely thing

Up here, it's this, the purse
that we know that she was

Holding, um, because you
can see the jewelry inside.

Curtis: You can.

Bettany: So, there's a
bracelet and rings and,

And even a coin up there.

Her treasured possessions,
five gold rings and a
precious gemstone.

All suggest she was
from a wealthy family.

But, I mean, this
is terrible to see,

Isn't it because she was
grabbing that purse and

Running away with it because
she thought she was saving it.

Curtis: Yes.

Bettany: She thought she was
gonna be able to carry on and

Use it in her life after
the, after the eruption but

Actually they're going
with her to her grave.

Curtis: Yes.

Bettany: And can you tell from
her skull exactly how she died?

Curtis: So, the mouth was open
which obviously allowed for

The influx of thermal debris
and smoke which itself can

Cause asphyxia.

Bettany: It seems that as the
resin lady opened her mouth

Gasping for air, she inhaled
a lethal combination of

Suffocating ash and poisonous
gas before falling victim to

The extreme heat as
vesuvius erupted.

And how quick is a
death like that?

I mean, does she, does she
have time to, to think?

Would she have been
aware of what was going on?

Curtis: It's not
always a very quick end.

There is an awareness before
that unconscious period sets in.

So, that interval can be
quite protracted sadly.

Bettany: That is the
terrible thing, we know that

They suffered not just
physically but psychologically.

That they had time to...

Curtis: Yes.
Bettany: To feel fear.

Curtis: Yes, and I think
it captures the horror of

Fire victim and
thermal injury deaths.

Bettany: It makes you
not just respect them,

Actually, but
really care for these...

Curtis: Yes.
Bettany: Women and men.

Curtis: Yes. Absolutely.

Bettany: The resin lady
deserves to be treasured,

Not just because of who
she is but because of

What she represents.

When mount vesuvius erupted
it killed indiscriminately.

Women, men,
children, the slaves,

The free, everyone.

Women are generally written
out of history but because

She's been preserved, we
can begin to appreciate her,

Her life and her story.

So, we should treasure and
cherish the, so-called,

Resin lady and remember
her with huge respect.

Next time, I'll be
counting down my final five.

Prepare to be blown away...

As we finally reveal my
top treasure of pompeii.

Captioned by cotter
captioning services.