Pompeii from the British Museum Film Review

The British Museum filmed a behind the scenes look at their exhibit: Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum, which ran from March 28th to September 29th, 2013. It was a collaboration of various museums who authorized the careful exchange and borrowing of several prized possessions.

The film presented to the audience many staff from the British Museum and specialist from ever field. The film took audiences on a journey that was the last days of Pompeii and Herculaneum. As an audience member, we were exposed to the grandeur and simplicity that went into grooming, preparing for the day, cooking, going about business and then an in depth look at Mount Vesuvius' activity and destruction.

The film was a tribute to individuals who had no knowledge of the site or its history, but it was also a treat for students of the ancient world who were given a personalized tour of rarely seen items by great scholar.

Mary Beard walked us through the life and day of individuals of Pompeii and Herculaneum. She disclosed very early on to cease an expectation that all Romans lived in such a luxurious way and reminded the audience of the slave to citizen ratio. She also graced us with her Latin translating various scenes and inscriptions.

Carbonized Bread

Giorgio Locatelli explained the food of the time period that was evident from the well-preservation of the ash. In the following video, he attempts to recreate the famous carbonized bread found at Pompeii. The following link provides a video, explanation and receipe.

Andrew Wallace- Hadrill is a man who loves to find the treasures that many disregard. He is one of the leading archaeologist who go wear no man wishes to go: into the sewers. In the film, he share a wealth of knowledge that he and his team discovered in the sewers (which were used to human waste as well as trash). They is a sundry of pottery from all over the world, "misplaced" jewelry, and evidence of their diet.

A piece depicting the fertility of the Pompeii region due to the volcanic soil.

Lastly, Rachel da Thame discusses the panels from the House of the Golden Bracelet and the plant and bird life.

There is a wonderful app that looks at items in detail for a small fee.  Overall, the experience was well worth the $15.00 and the occasional glances from the 10 other audience members. But, I will say there was some quiet joy, when I saw a mother and young son come to the showing.