In AD 79, the Bay of Naples was rocked by the dramatic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii and Herculaneum—and countless nearby farms, estates, and villages—were completely buried under pumice and super-heated ash. It is arguably the most widely recognized volcanic eruption in recorded history, and the ruins buried under the debris are our most valuable archaeological record of day-to-day life in the Roman Empire. The daily lives of the ordinary people of the cities destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius are brought to life in this lecture by Dr. Paul Roberts, senior curator, head of the Roman Collections, Greek and Roman Department at The British Museum.

This lecture is part of the Behind the Glass lecture series, which takes place the second Thursday of the month. These events include the Museum's popular Meet the Artist lectures, as well as talks by curators and other specialists in the fields of glass, art and archaeology. http://www.cmog.org/programs/lectures...

Dr. Roberts' lecture introduced a two-day seminar honoring the life and work of our former executive director and friend David Whitehouse. Learn more http://www.cmog.org/event/life-archae...