Life and death
Pompeii and Herculaneum

28 March – 29 September 2013

Exhibition closed

Recommend this exhibition

AD 79. In just 24 hours, two cities in the Bay of Naples in southern Italy were buried by a catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Preserved under ash, the cities lay buried for just over 1,600 years, their rediscovery providing an unparalleled glimpse into the daily life of the Roman Empire.

From the bustling street to the intimate spaces of a Roman home, this major exhibition will take you to the heart of people’s lives in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Read press release

Highlight objects

Gold bracelet in the form of a coiled snake, 1st Century AD, Roman, Pompeii
Wall painting of the baker Terentius Neo and his wife. From the House of Terentius Neo, Pompeii. AD 50–79
© Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei
Carbonised wooden cradle. From the House of M.P.P.Granianus, Herculaneum, 1st century AD
© Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei
Plaster cast of a dog. From the House of Orpheus, Pompeii, AD 79
© Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei
Satyr and maenads, marble wall panel, From the House of the Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, 1st century AD
© Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei
Relief with Bacchus and followers, marble wall panel, From the House of the Dionysiac Reliefs, Herculaneum, 1st century AD
© Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei
Mosaic of a guard dog. From the House of Orpheus, Pompeii, 1st century AD
© Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei
Fragment of a wall painting showing a man reclining to drink. From Pompeii, 1st century AD

The eruption story

The day Mount Vesuvius erupted

Explore the 24-hour timeline, based on an eyewitness account and archaeological evidence, to piece together the stages of the eruption and its devastating effects on the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Find out more