How ancient Pompeii was rediscovered

Historian Jess Venner explains how the ancient Roman city was ‘lost’ – and found again centuries later

Published: June 30, 2026 at 4:00 PM

Save

The buried Roman city of Pompeii was ‘discovered’ in the 16th century, but was it ever lost? In this penultimate episode of our four-part series, Kev Lochun speaks with historian Dr Jess Venner about the years between destruction and excavation.

Ad

How did the beleaguered Roman emperor Titus react to the disaster and the refugee crisis that followed? Why was no attempt made to resettle and rebuild? And how did the city become the archeological marvel we know it as today?

Watch now or listen ad-free below:

Ad

Want to know more about the story of Pompeii? HistoryExtra's Kev Lochun has curated a selection of essential reading from the HistoryExtra archives to help you explore the story of the cataclysm, the Roman way of life and the nature of the Roman empire. Go beyond the podcast.

Authors

Kev LochunDigital editor (audience and video)

Kev Lochun is digital editor (audience and video) at HistoryExtra

Ad

Ad

Loading...

Ad

Loading...