MaryBeardsays:“ThisisareallyexcitingchancetofindoutmoreabouttheordinarypeoplewholivedinancientPompeii.Itsaonceinalifetimeopportunity.Imhopingweregoingtounlocksomeifthesecretsaboutwhothepeoplewere.”
Forthefirsttime,ateamisCTscanningandfullyinvestigatingtheworld-famouscastsofthebodiestoanalysetheskeletonstrappedwithin,toascertainalltheycanaboutwhotheywere,wheretheycamefromandhowtheylived.AteamisalsoconductingDNAanalysisofthebodiesforthefirsttime.
Elsewhere,thedocumentarywillfollowtheworkofrecoveringdamagedfrescoesandmosaics,theexcavationandrebuildingofcertainkeybuildingsandtheorganisationandcataloguingofthethousandsofastonishingartefactsinthestorerooms–fromloavesofbreadtopetmonkeys,paintpotstopurses.Itwillshinealightontheworkofarchaeologistswhoareexploringthethirdofthetownthathasneverbeenexcavated,andwillpresentauniquefirstlookatthecompletePompeiiinstunningCGI.
Usingtheevidencegleanedfromallthisresearch,theBBCOnefilmwillpiecetogetherafullpictureofdailylifeinPompeiibeforethetownwasdestroyedbytheeruptionofVesuviusinAD79.
