It’s 79 AD and Mount Vesuvius is about to blow. In 24 hours’ time, the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum are going to die. They will be part of the death toll of one of the worst natural disasters in history. Starting with a forensic examination of their remains, Bettany Hughes pieces together the final 24 hours of their lives in incredible detail travelling to Pompeii and Herculaneum and inviting experts into her cutting-edge incident room.  

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This is ancient history, like you’ve never seen it before. Professor Bettany Hughes brings us face to face with extraordinary characters from the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.  Travelling across the most stunning landscapes of the ancient world, Bettany puts her investigative skills to the test, to create intimate portraits of what these people were like, how they lived and how they died. She’ll investigate the forensic evidence from their remains. Based in her own specially created ‘incident room’, she’ll reveal the latest CT scans and DNA tests, analyse their possessions, and investigate the circumstances surrounding their deaths.