Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum

The accompanying title to the major exhibition at the British Museum: Life and death in Pompeii and Herculaneum, 28 March - 29 September 2013.

This captivating book explores the lives of the ordinary people of Pompeii and Herculaneum - the two cities on the Bay of Naples that were buried by the catastrophic volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The plaster-cast bodies of the victims are the most vivid shocking reminders of the horrific event that made Pompeii famous, but who were these men, women and children so cruelly frozen in time?

Exploring striking new discoveries and over 200 sensational artefacts, the author, who is the curator of the exhibition, brings the inhabitants of Pompeii and Herculaneum back to life from the ashes and ruins of their own homes. Amongst the artefacts are magnificent mosaics, a carbonized wooden cradle and a birth certificate of little girl, each of which is accompanied by stunning new photography.

An unparalleled glimpse into the daily life of the Roman Empire.