In AD 79. In just 24 hours, two Roman cities in the Bay of Naples, southern Italy, were buried by a catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Preserved under ash, they lay forgotten until their rediscovery, totally preserved nearly 1,700 years later. Excavations of these totally preserved cities  continue today and provide an unparalleled glimpse into the daily life of the Roman Empire.

It is over 20 years since the last major exhibition on Pompeii in the UK, and this year's annual blockbuster exhibition at the British Museum shows recent discoveries alongside celebrated objects, including body casts, to reveal new insights into this highly captivating human story.

  Starting with the bustling street, and moving through the intimate spaces of private homes, their gardens, bedrooms and dining rooms, we are transported into shops, bars and even brothels; an illuminating and detailed focus on the daily life of ordinary Romans up to that instant when devastation struck and engulfed them 1,934 years ago.

    Getting there
Venue: British Museum,  Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG. T: 020 7323 8299
Access: Daily 10am-5.30pm, 8.30pm Fridays.
Tickets:  £15, (Concessions). Advance booking essential. Book online. FREE to the rest of the museum.
Nearest Tube: Tottenham Court Road; Holborn.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes, entry in Montague Place.

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