On 24th August 79AD Mount Vesuvius erupted covering the ancient city of
Pompeii in volcanic ash and hot mud, killing most of its inhabitants. This site was not uncovered again until the 1700s and we’ve been fascinated with Pompeii ever since.
The natural disaster left behind a perfectly preserved example of ancient life in the Mediterranean, giving us an insight into what it would be like to live in the Roman Empire. This winter you can experience first hand this “time capsule” at the
Melbourne Museum.
The A Day in Pompeii exhibition is part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, where the drama of ancient Pompeii will come to life; displaying more than 250 objects never before seen in Australia, including a body cast of two women huddled together which was found in the garden of the House of Cryptoporticus.
It will also bring to life their food and dining habits, shopping, medicine and religion, and features exquisite objects including marble sculptures, gold jewellery and delicate frescoes. There is also a 3D theatre which will let visitors experience what the dramatic eruption would have been like and it will also show the latest scientific research carried out on volcanoes.
