Dr Radness makes a guest star appearance in an episode of the Wonders of the World Podcast hosted by Caroline Vahrenkamp. Herein they discuss Pompeii and Herculaneum! In this special collaboration, Caroline and Dr Radness explore just what happens when Mount Vesuvius erupts in 79 CE. You can listen to the whole episode here 🙂
The combination of the sultry tones of Caroline and the razor sharp intelligence of Dr R is sure not only to entertain, but also to inform!
What Happens to Pompeii and Herculaneum?
Delve into the advantages of the location of the cities and towns of the area surrounding Vesuvius. Caroline and Dr R investigate the details of the eruption and discuss how the effects of it are different for Pompeii than for Herculaneum.
So what do we really know from the source material?
Plenty as it turns out!
One of our major literary sources are the letters of Pliny the Younger. How do his words written after the event stack up against the weight of archaeological evidence? Listen to find out the answer.
Considering the Casts
One of the key pieces of evidence is the bodily remains which survive as casts. How were these casts created? And how accurate is this kind of evidence? Dr Rad discusses the insightful work being conducted by Dr Estelle Lazer from the University of Sydney. You can find out more details about how new technology is allowing new insights into the casts of Pompeii by visiting the project online at: http://www.castprojectpompeii.org/
It all about the food…
Bringing Pompeii to life in the most important way is of course a discussion of food. Garum is the infamous and potent fermented fish sauce. But if malodorous fish sauce isn’t that enticing, there are also the wonders of the sewerage remains preserved by the fateful eruption!
Interested in Wonders?
You can satisfy your appetite for the Wonders of the World by checking out Caroline’s podcast. She goes beyond Rome and Europe to explores all the fair continents of this here Earth. All the details can be found at https://www.wonderspodcast.com/
PS Check out the fascinus found at Pompeii below, of the kind that Dr Radness refers to 🙂
The featured image at the top of this post is the restored version of John Martin c.1821 Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum, held at the Tate in London.
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