For over two centuries, archaeologists have hailed Pompeii as a sophisticated city at the heart of an advanced ancient civilization. But a series of new excavations is painting a much more complex picture of the city tragically buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. New archaeological finds – including 2,000-year-old lines of graffiti, human remains, and artifacts from ancient homes and businesses – are revealing a city of both staggering wealth and extreme poverty, dependent on slavery, and riven by political conflicts, violence, and riots. Before Vesuvius rumbled, the jewel of the ancient Roman Empire hid a very dark side.

Air Date: Wed, Mar 18, 2026 9:00 PM