Welcome back to The Deep Dive where we surprise and intrigue you with a brand-new timely topic explored every Tuesday.
This week we’re taking a deep dive into the Roman city of Pompeii. August 24 marks the 1946th anniversary of Mt. Vesuvius’s catastrophic eruption that buried the city in a thick layer of volcanic ash. Let’s explore how this pivotal event influenced civilizations past and present.
Yours in media,
Elizabeth He, Visual Communications Editor
This is a web edition of GBH's The Deep Dive, a weekly newsletter bringing you the best GBH has to offer.
Blast from the Past
Escaping a Volcano’s Deadly Pyroclastic Flow (7 min clip)
Volcanologist Professor Chris Jackson reveals the power of the deadly pyroclastic flow that swept through Pompeii, killing everything in its path. Watch the clip or the full series Pompeii: The New Dig.
This Pompeii Priest Had an Unexpected Rise to Power (3 min clip)
Discover who this mysterious person was, and why he chose to forgo cremation when he died. Watch Pompeii’s Secret Underworld from NOVA.
Ancient Pompeii’s Modern Solution to Traffic Jams (2 min clip)
Professor Eric Poehler examines the archaeological evidence, carved into the stone streets, to reveal how the city managed its relentless flow of traffic. Walk these ancient streets, and watch Secrets of the Dead: Last Days of Pompeii.
New DNA Evidence Upends What We Thought We Knew About Pompeii Victims (article)
Who were the people left behind in the plaster casts? Read to find out.
Recipes of the Week
Lava Cakes (recipe)
Want an explosive flavor? These cakes come together in just a few minutes, with two bowls, a whisk, and a spatula. Ooey-gooey deliciousness!
Julia Child Makes an Apple Charlotte Volcano (45 sec clip)
Do you remember the story of how Julia Child accidentally created a “volcano” while cooking an Apple Charlotte at home? Here’s a refresher.
Pompeii Present & Future
Christina Cooks: The Queen of the Table (26 min episode)
Travel to Pompeii to cook with one of the coolest, strongest, and finest cooks. What’s on the menu?
Those Robot Dogs Got Their First Real Job — Guarding Pompeii (13 min audio)
These “dogs” from Boston Dynamics now guard the ruins of the ancient Italian city of Pompeii. But what are these dogs protecting?
Rick Steves’ Europe: Naples and Pompeii (25 min episode)
Prowl backstreet fish markets, dodge fast-moving Vespas, and dine on pizza where it was invented. Then, climb to the top of nearby Mount Vesuvius and wander down through the amazing ruins of Pompeii. Andiamo!
Campi Flegrei: Italy’s Underground Super Volcano (3 min clip)
In Italy, hundreds of thousands of people are living directly on top of an active volcano. Could another Pompeii-level event happen again? Watch NOVA’s The Next Pompeii.
Off Topic
- Big congrats to GBH’s Callie Crossley for being inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame! Check out this clip of Callie from a 1982 episode of Say Brother. (35 sec short)
- Learn about Levi Strauss, the man behind the youngest oldest brand in the world. (50 min video)
- NASA astronaut and Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell passed away at age 97. Watch this interview with Lovell about his journey to the moon. (23 min video)
