Prequel to the The New Dig - "Disaster Street, Pompeii"

Thanks for the update and link! I can’t wait to binge these…

I have watched all the episodes, including last night. It was excellent. I find it amazing how they use their forensic analysis to come to logical conclusions about the victims and societal norms. The condition of the frescoes, mosaic floors and artifacts are fantastic. When I visited Ostia Antica last year, many of the mosaic floors were in similar condition, even though they have been exposed to the elements for hundreds of years.

Just finished watching #4.
These are a must view for anyone planning a visit to Pompeii.
We are excited to be there in October.

Watching #4 right this minute --- loving the drone footage and the plaster casts of furniture. Wishing, as usual, that the camera stayed on the mosaics and frescoes and other things MUCH longer and less on the people doing the work on the dig. I don't get why we need more than a quick view of the person narrating --- I keep having to rewind and pause to see stuff for longer than a quick flash.

Yes, it was so enjoyable I'm sorry it's over! Funny about wishing they lingered longer on the mosaics and frescos, I too had to pause often to take it all in.... We're going to Pompeii, Herculanum, Paestum & the Naples Archaeological Museum in December, I'm really looking forward to standing in front of some mosaics and just breathing in deeply! https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/ideas-about-our-trip-to-pompeii-naples-paestum

BTW, these episodes have now appeared on YouTube as well, though personally I'm happy making a contribution to PBS!

Just checked and as Passport members of TPT (our local PBS network station) I can stream the episodes on my laptop. YAY! Thanks much for flagging this series, Sandancisco; as a twice- past visitor to Pompeii, I'm looking forward to seeing it!

Was just on the PBS app last night on my Apple TV and saw that episode 4 was available. The previous 3 were excellent. Haven’t watched #4 yet, though. Waiting till later this week. I agree though about one commenter saying they don’t spend enough time showing the actual restored mosaics. I love old mosaics. I remember back in 2018 when we visited Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily and we spent probably 2-3 hours and people behind us would get impatient and make silly comments like “they’re only mosaics, why do you need to photograph everything”. Because we love mosaics and who knows when we’ll ever get back to visiting Villa Romana! We must’ve taken 300 photographs between the two of us just at that site. Amazing. Can’t wait till we visit Pompeii in 2027. Next year will probably be Sicily again, although the Palermo, Cefalù and other western areas I’ve never been. Wife has seen the entire island, some of it in the 70’s-80’s during her family campervan vacations with her parents and one with close friends in 2017 when I was recovering from surgery and couldn’t travel.

GREAT to hear others are enjoying the series, and would like to see more mosaics! For those of you who travel to Rome, we highly recommend Palazzo Massimo, just across the street from Termini train station. It has large mosaics excavated from various parts of Rome. Here's a great video of the museum. https://youtu.be/s6g75E6Lzls?si=JrpD1Yr8Yrw63GJR. (though weirdly not so much about mosaics, hmmm he just ran out of time?). When we were there over Christmas holidays, we saw maybe 4-5 people in 3 hours. Empty.

Silly comments like “they’re only mosaics, why do you need to
photograph everything”. Because we love mosaics and who knows when
we’ll ever get back to visiting Villa Romana

"PLEASE pass us, we're going to take a LOOOONG time to enjoy this beauty!"

Saw this article on CNN today:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/14/science/pompeii-reoccupation-after-eruption

Interesting stuff. As I haven't gotten to watch any of this series yet (hopefully this weekend!) it's possible that they covered some of the findings of post-eruption occupation of the ruins in one of the programs?

Fascinating, thanks Kate! I had heard this, perhaps it was another shorter documentary. I don't think it's included in the New Dig, good reminder!

Any other suggestions for Roman ancient history documentaries also most appreciated!!

This was excellent - "How Herculaneum Is Better Preserved Than Pompeii" https://youtu.be/nvFlEJpuTfo?si=7w2tPwSWiIuQliLV

And I've just started Rome: Empire Without Limit, What The Day-To-Day Life Was Really Like In Ancient Rome. https://youtu.be/RVUy_bm4V1k?si=oYH1KCqMuSufoGy_

This free Yale online course inspired me to spend 4 nights in Pompei. For some reason, the first session isn't on the Yale website, but you can find it on YouTube. The lectures were recorded in 2009, so more recent discoveries aren't mentioned.

https://oyc.yale.edu/history-of-art/hsar-252

For those who have stayed in Pompei, do you have any hotel recommendations for very close to the ancient site? I am having a hard time finding places that are very close to the site.

Michelle, someone on this thread had a recommendation (Hotel Forum.)
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/2-days-pompeii

The OP of this thread has also stayed there!
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/great-trip-to-pompeii-naples-over-new-years-december-26-january-2nd-2026

Here:

https://www.hotelforumpompeii.com/en/

For anyone that enjoyed the documentaries about excavation there is a semi-permanent working excavation site at Pompeii on Via dell’Abbondanza. You climb the stairs and walk over the working excavation site and see all levels of things being revealed from fully documented to still mostly buried. The site is best marked as Insula dei Casti Amanti and if you check the pictures you can see the how it is set up and the kinds of view you can get.

There are no photo signs and announcements but not everyone was following that rule. We were there on Sunday so no one was working but all the tools were in places. Checking the photos they've made a lot progress since 2024 with mosaics now revealed and now in situ skeletons as well.

The trail leads you out to the bathrooms and snackbar area in the middle of the park BTW.

Don't miss it if you get the chance,
=Tod

Thanks Kate, yes Michele Ann - do check out the Forum Hotel, it’s just down the street from the smaller entrance to the ruins. It’s a lovely, 4-star hotel at a great price, VERY quiet, you walk in a driveway that’s blocked off to traffic, by their amazing lemon orchard into the lobby, and the service was wonderful. I wrote more about logistics & the hotel in my TR highlighted by Kate.

Estimated Prophet - Thanks for linking this course, for some reason I missed it before we went to Pompeii, but am now watching Episode 4 about Pompeii, it's GREAT! )And I don't think we would have made it back to the ruins multiple times if we hadn't been staying right across the street.) https://oyc.yale.edu/history-art/hsar-252/lecture-4.

Hiredman - Hi Tod, very good point about seeing the working excavation site at Pompeii on Via dell’Abbondanza. (There is a lift for those of you who need it.) For me it was a once in a lifetime experience - having seen The New Dig and then walking back in time to look down at the frescos & rooms, amazing!