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Pompeii, buried by lava, mud and ash, may seem a vivid 'snapshot' of the past. However, interpreting what was left behind has proven extremely problematic.
Historians and archaeologists are now going back to basics and looking again at Pompeii's remains. They are particularly interested in the 17-year period between the devastating earthquake of AD 62 and the final appalling eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. This work has led to many surprising discoveries that reveal a society in flux.
Here we examine the rationale behind the new research, then look at a number of aspects of Pompeii during that vital period. Throughout, to flesh out the research, there are examples of archetypal Pompeians, based on the – often fragmentary – records of individuals of the period.
For a full account of the eruption and subsequent excavation of the area, check out Pompeii and Herculaneum.