Under the Ashes

So this weekend I took a journey back in time to AD 79 to discover more about the people who lived in the ill fated towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The exhibition at the British Museum has been hugely popular and I was very fortunate to get my hands on one of the last remaining tickets. This also highlights my bad habit of booking tickets at the very last moment! I'll never forgive myself for missing out on the Hollywood costume exhibition.

So back to Pompeii. Now most of those who can remember their history and geography lessons will recall that Pompeii was destroyed almost 2,000 years ago when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Unfortunately for the Romans they didn't have the knowledge of volcanoes that we possess today, so they did not foresee the impact or travesty this event would have. Archaeologists themselves were unaware of the extent of the eruption until they started excavating in the 1700's and it wasn't until the 1980's that the citizens were brought back to life by pouring plaster into the pockets of space underground.

The great thing about this exhibition was that it didn't hamper on about just the eruption or destruction. Instead they focused on the lives of the people who lived in these two historically significant places. It wasn't just about their sorrowful endings, but about the businesses they ran, who they worshiped and that women played a significant role in society and were not merely seen as mothers or wives. 

Set in the majestic circular library, not quite sure where the scholars have sought refuge for the past few months, you were introduced to the residents of Pompeii through the corridors and rooms of the Tragic Poets house. As you wandered through the different rooms you uncovered items that would typically have been found in a Roman home. Lots of chests, murals, jewellery and pots, but most fascinating of all were the carbonized figs and bread that had been left undisturbed for centuries (I wouldn't suggest eating them now). What I hadn't expected to see were the casts of some of the victims on display. Immortalized in their final moments it makes you realise what it must have been like to be there.

I've now been left hungry to learn more. Maybe it's time I took a trip to Italy.

The exhibition closes on Sunday, but walk-in tickets are still available. Visit www.britishmuseum.org/ for more information.