1 00:00:00,947 --> 00:00:07,944 This series presents information based in part on theory and conjecture. 2 00:00:07,944 --> 00:00:17,940 The producer's purpose is to suggest some possible explanations but not necessarily the only ones to the mysteries we will examine. 3 00:00:30,934 --> 00:00:38,931 In a single day in 79 AD, the entire city of Pompeii was buried by a massive volcanic eruption. 4 00:00:45,928 --> 00:00:54,924 Ash and lava covered many secrets of life in those times, secrets which would remain hidden for 1500 years. 5 00:00:55,924 --> 00:00:59,922 One recent discovery there has challenged history. 6 00:01:02,921 --> 00:01:09,918 Could this be the earliest Christian cross and tuned in the very heart of Roman decadence? 7 00:01:09,918 --> 00:01:25,911 No ancient civilization could match the grandeur of Rome. Even her outlying towns bear witness to the wealth of the empire. 8 00:01:25,911 --> 00:01:34,907 Most of her monuments have eroded but the city of Pompeii is the one place where the past of Rome was sealed in the earth and not lost. 9 00:01:35,907 --> 00:01:48,901 Wall paintings give us a glimpse of life in Pompeii. The city as a whole gives us a large window looking into a single day of that era, 1900 years ago. 10 00:01:49,901 --> 00:02:08,893 The city was preserved because it was built right next to Mount Vesuvius, a dormant volcano. On a morning in August 79 AD, the volcano began to rumble. 11 00:02:09,892 --> 00:02:24,886 On the day Pompeii was buried, great winds of change were sweeping across the old world. A thousand Egyptian dynasties had collapsed. Rome had crushed Israel and conquered Europe. 12 00:02:25,886 --> 00:02:39,880 Followers of the new religion, Christianity, were worshiping in secret from England to Jerusalem. In distance and in spirit, no city could be much farther from the Holy Land than Pompeii. 13 00:02:41,879 --> 00:02:51,875 It seems impossible that in only 25 years, Christians had begun to convert the people of this city. People who thought Mount Vesuvius was a god. 14 00:02:54,873 --> 00:03:05,869 Edward Bendell, professor at the American University in Rome and an expert on Pompeii, believes the ancient Pompeians were fooled by the deceptive quiet of Vesuvius. 15 00:03:06,868 --> 00:03:19,863 Here in this moon-like crater of a dormant volcano, there is a strange silence broken occasionally by the sound of falling rock. 16 00:03:20,862 --> 00:03:43,852 2,000 years ago, it was perhaps as quiet, for men had lived on its slopes for centuries. They worked the rich volcanic soil, producing rich farms and fine vineyards, making some of the best wine known to the world at that time. 17 00:03:44,852 --> 00:04:03,844 With a natural harbor nearby and a mild climate, Pompeii prospered. The volcano would rumble, but the citizens ignored the danger. Vesuvius had never erupted, they believed, and no one suspected it ever would. 18 00:04:04,844 --> 00:04:24,835 They had no idea they were living on a time bomb. The events of 62 AD might have given a warning, but no one associated the violence of the sudden earthquake with a nearby barren crater. 19 00:04:25,835 --> 00:04:34,831 Were the gods cursing Pompeii? Should the city be abandoned? 20 00:04:36,830 --> 00:04:43,827 Scientists and priests came all the way from Rome to resolve the question. 21 00:04:44,827 --> 00:05:05,818 Science, however, was not highly developed then. They consulted astrological charts, searched for obscure references in the writings of ancient philosophers, and for this life or death matter called into consultant to double-check their results. 22 00:05:06,817 --> 00:05:13,814 He was a highly respected professor of augury, who could predict the future by reading the entrails of birds. 23 00:05:14,814 --> 00:05:25,809 What seems like primitive superstition was, at that time, the most reliable method of research. The augurer carefully measured the liver or the gallbladder, comparing the size and shape to classic norms. 24 00:05:25,809 --> 00:05:38,804 He concluded Pompeii was safe. All the experts agreed. 25 00:05:44,801 --> 00:05:54,797 Remarkably, no one noticed the volcano had begun smoking. Deep within the earth, however, pressures were mounting. 26 00:05:54,797 --> 00:06:09,791 Pompeii was given one last warning. In the middle of August 79 AD, the wells went dry. Underground water had shifted, generating tons of pressure deep inside Vesuvius. 27 00:06:10,790 --> 00:06:13,789 Then came August 24th. 28 00:06:29,782 --> 00:06:35,780 An enormous black cloud of volcanic cinders and ash shot miles into the air. 29 00:06:40,777 --> 00:06:45,775 A small volcano was formed during the eruption. 30 00:06:59,769 --> 00:07:08,766 As incredible as it seems, many of the people did not flee. None of them had the slightest idea what a volcanic eruption was. 31 00:07:39,752 --> 00:07:50,748 A rain of hot cinders started fires all over the city. 32 00:07:50,748 --> 00:07:55,746 For the once complacent citizens, it was too late to escape. 33 00:07:55,746 --> 00:08:00,744 Self-reviewings killed many on the spot. 34 00:08:00,744 --> 00:08:18,736 When the eruption ceased three days later, Pompeii was 30 feet under volcanic ash and rock. 35 00:08:18,736 --> 00:08:20,735 The Roman Empire fell. 36 00:08:20,735 --> 00:08:25,733 The Middle Ages passed, Columbus discovered America. 37 00:08:25,733 --> 00:08:31,730 All that historians knew about Pompeii came from fragments of old Roman records. 38 00:08:31,730 --> 00:08:36,728 It was remembered only as a typical pleasure-loving resort. 39 00:08:36,728 --> 00:08:49,723 When the lost city was found and excavated, however, surprising evidence for the first Christian cross was discovered, sealed, deep in the earth. 40 00:08:50,722 --> 00:09:04,716 Pompeii's place in history is quite unique in that in one day it was completely hermetically sealed. 41 00:09:04,716 --> 00:09:09,714 In other words, time stood still. 42 00:09:10,714 --> 00:09:20,710 In 1710, in the shadow of Vesuvius, the lost city of Pompeii was miraculously discovered. 43 00:09:20,710 --> 00:09:27,707 A peasant named Giovanni Noccerino set out to dig a new well for his farm. 44 00:09:27,707 --> 00:09:31,705 The village dowser had directed him to a promising spot. 45 00:09:31,705 --> 00:09:36,703 30 feet down, he still hadn't hit water and was about to give up. 46 00:09:51,697 --> 00:10:00,693 For as long as anyone could remember, local legends told of a fabulous city buried far underground, teeming with gold and jewels. 47 00:10:00,693 --> 00:10:10,688 No one could remember the exact name or location of the city, but they believed it had been part of the ancient Roman Empire. 48 00:10:12,688 --> 00:10:18,685 Giovanni sold the marble to a dealer who realized it was both very old and valuable. 49 00:10:18,685 --> 00:10:23,683 The two men returned and continued digging in secret. 50 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:38,677 They found treasure beyond their dreams, not only statues and coins, but an entire city that extended for miles. 51 00:10:38,677 --> 00:10:46,673 The strange soil was so soft they could dig with their hands, yet firm enough to tunnel in old directions. 52 00:10:46,673 --> 00:10:51,671 They realized the old legends of a lost city were true. 53 00:11:01,667 --> 00:11:08,664 After 50 years of treasure hunting, diggers made a chance discovery. 54 00:11:08,664 --> 00:11:15,661 From that day in 1760 to the present, excavations in Pompeii have continued. 55 00:11:15,661 --> 00:11:20,659 Early explorers carted away whatever they found. 56 00:11:20,659 --> 00:11:26,656 The old town was a small town, but it was a small town. 57 00:11:26,656 --> 00:11:31,654 The town was a small town, but it was a small town. 58 00:11:31,654 --> 00:11:36,652 Early explorers carted away whatever they found. 59 00:11:38,651 --> 00:11:46,648 Only in the last century have scientists been able to put a stop to the stealing and damage of historic artifacts. 60 00:11:52,645 --> 00:11:57,643 This control led to the most dramatic find of all. 61 00:11:57,643 --> 00:12:08,638 In 1864, the archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli was supervising the excavation when workers found yet another cavity in the volcanic ash. 62 00:12:08,638 --> 00:12:12,637 Like hundreds of others, the cavity was filled with human bones. 63 00:12:12,637 --> 00:12:19,634 They usually just tossed the bones aside and kept on digging, a senseless loss. 64 00:12:20,633 --> 00:12:26,631 Fiorelli thought, when the Pompeians died, volcanic ash hardened around their bodies. 65 00:12:26,631 --> 00:12:31,629 The bodies decayed, leaving a hollow space in the rock. 66 00:12:31,629 --> 00:12:35,627 Could this hollow space be used like a sculptor's mold? 67 00:12:43,624 --> 00:12:46,622 He tried an experiment. 68 00:12:49,621 --> 00:12:54,619 Blaster of Paris was poured in the hollow. 69 00:13:20,608 --> 00:13:28,605 Then, very carefully, they scraped away the surrounding ash and cinders. 70 00:13:40,599 --> 00:13:44,598 The resulting cast was more detailed than he had dared to hope. 71 00:13:44,598 --> 00:13:49,596 It resembled a marble statue, but this was once the shape of a living person. 72 00:13:54,594 --> 00:13:57,592 A mule driver huddled under a balcony. 73 00:13:59,591 --> 00:14:02,590 A young woman trapped in the street. 74 00:14:05,589 --> 00:14:13,586 A dog left behind chained to a post, and many others literally frozen in time. 75 00:14:15,585 --> 00:14:18,583 The man was left alone. 76 00:14:33,577 --> 00:14:39,574 Charentius the baker gave a party for his brother, Naio, who was just elected magistrate. 77 00:14:39,574 --> 00:14:42,573 Their friends came and drank all night. 78 00:14:45,572 --> 00:14:51,569 In the wine shop of Felix Arbitris, a new blend was said to capture the very taste of spring. 79 00:14:51,569 --> 00:14:57,567 Diceus bought a slave who knew the art of mosaics. His first creation said, beware of the dog. 80 00:14:57,567 --> 00:15:01,565 The slaves of Mrs. Vetti were hard at work on her new house. 81 00:15:01,565 --> 00:15:04,564 It would be the very finest in Pompeii. 82 00:15:04,564 --> 00:15:11,561 This is the atrium of a typical Roman house of a wealthy family naturally. 83 00:15:11,561 --> 00:15:18,558 We have the atrium with its compluvium, which leads down to the impluvium, 84 00:15:18,558 --> 00:15:21,557 where the rain fell on the house. 85 00:15:21,557 --> 00:15:24,555 The house is the house of the Roman family. 86 00:15:24,555 --> 00:15:27,554 The house is the house of the Roman family. 87 00:15:27,554 --> 00:15:33,552 The atrium with its compluvium, which leads down to the impluvium, 88 00:15:33,552 --> 00:15:39,549 where the rain fell in the rainy season, filling a basin of water below. 89 00:15:39,549 --> 00:15:43,547 The family life revolved around this area. 90 00:15:43,547 --> 00:15:50,544 You will find that you have small rooms, the cubicles, the trichlinium or dining room, which we find back there. 91 00:15:51,544 --> 00:15:59,541 In the morning, mother would have got up and the servants would have gone into her cubicle and done her hair. 92 00:15:59,541 --> 00:16:05,538 Father would have got up out of his because it was recommended by the Romans not to sleep together. 93 00:16:05,538 --> 00:16:07,537 It led to bad marriages. 94 00:16:07,537 --> 00:16:12,535 And you will notice the painting on the walls. 95 00:16:12,535 --> 00:16:18,533 This is one of the finest houses as far as the late or fourth style, 96 00:16:18,533 --> 00:16:22,531 Pompeian style in painting, can be found. 97 00:16:22,531 --> 00:16:31,527 But life was comfortable, calm in these houses, the open air in the garden behind, the open air in the atrium. 98 00:16:33,526 --> 00:16:37,524 For all of Pompey's value as a treasure chest of antiquity, 99 00:16:37,524 --> 00:16:42,522 the city is ironically better known for its many lewd murals. 100 00:16:50,519 --> 00:16:56,516 Advertisements of a sort for the red light district were plastered on walls all over town. 101 00:16:57,516 --> 00:17:10,510 What has survived in Pompey are records of frivolity, decadence and still another facet of Roman civilization, savagery. 102 00:17:10,510 --> 00:17:20,506 In here you had the sport which included men against animals, animals against animals and men against men. 103 00:17:20,506 --> 00:17:23,505 The Romans loved blood sport. 104 00:17:23,505 --> 00:17:33,501 If they ran out of gladiators, they would then go to the local jail, get a condemned prisoner or a group of condemned prisoners and it was like that, 105 00:17:33,501 --> 00:17:35,500 slitting the throat, so to speak. 106 00:17:35,500 --> 00:17:49,494 At one point the competition between the two gladiator shows was so strong that the populace in the arena joined into the fight 107 00:17:49,494 --> 00:17:52,493 and there was a gross bloodbath. 108 00:17:52,493 --> 00:17:59,490 For this reason the government in Rome closed this amphitheater for ten years. 109 00:18:00,489 --> 00:18:05,487 Discovery of strange murals brought up another mystery in Pompey. 110 00:18:05,487 --> 00:18:13,484 The scenes seemed to depict religious rituals, but to this day no one has been able to explain their meaning. 111 00:18:14,483 --> 00:18:23,480 For want of a better name, scholars call these rites the cult of the mysteries. 112 00:18:29,477 --> 00:18:32,476 No culture in history has been without religion. 113 00:18:32,476 --> 00:18:37,474 The Romans borrowed from the Greeks and created a panoply of gods. 114 00:18:37,474 --> 00:18:47,469 Evidence has been found in Pompey showing tributes and sacrifices paid to Jupiter, Juno, Mars and dozens of other pagan gods. 115 00:18:48,469 --> 00:19:00,464 When Bessuvius erupted, Christianity was less than 50 years old and we would never expect to find evidence of its organized practice so far from the Holy Land. 116 00:19:08,460 --> 00:19:20,455 However, in nearby Herculaneum, sister city of Pompey, a small object was found over a simple altar. 117 00:19:20,455 --> 00:19:23,454 It looked like a Christian cross. 118 00:19:23,454 --> 00:19:28,452 This room was sealed in the earth only 49 years after Christ. 119 00:19:28,452 --> 00:19:33,450 Is it possible that whoever worshipped here knew Jesus? 120 00:19:33,450 --> 00:19:40,447 Well, some say that it is a cross and that it was a room of a Christian. 121 00:19:40,447 --> 00:19:47,444 I have my doubts because all the cross was an early Christian symbol. 122 00:19:47,444 --> 00:19:51,442 The most common symbol in that period before 79 was the fish. 123 00:19:51,442 --> 00:19:54,441 If there were fish there, I would be convinced. 124 00:19:54,441 --> 00:19:59,439 Dr. John Ray is a professor of theology in Anaheim, California. 125 00:19:59,439 --> 00:20:05,436 This depression in the stucco wall definitely has the shape of a cross. 126 00:20:05,436 --> 00:20:12,433 It looks like it and it looks like a wooden cross had been nailed into this depression at one time and then removed. 127 00:20:12,433 --> 00:20:26,427 Then a board or wooden cover nailed over the area and it is thought that this may have happened during a time of Christian persecution such as when Nero persecuted the Christians in 64 AD. 128 00:20:26,427 --> 00:20:33,424 As far as I know, no other religion used the cross at that time as a symbol. 129 00:20:33,424 --> 00:20:39,422 And so it would be pretty good evidence that it was of a Christian person worshipping. 130 00:20:39,422 --> 00:20:41,421 The controversy is still unresolved. 131 00:20:41,421 --> 00:20:48,418 The Bible tells us that St. Paul traveled from the Holy Land to the Bay of Naples around 63 AD. 132 00:20:48,418 --> 00:20:52,416 He met Christian brethren at a place called Three Taverns. 133 00:20:52,416 --> 00:20:57,414 Was this place Pompeii or possibly Herculaneum? 134 00:20:57,414 --> 00:21:02,412 The answer may still lie buried in the unexcavated part of this town. 135 00:21:22,404 --> 00:21:33,399 The man who killed Kennedy takes a close look at the evidence that Lee Harvey Oswald may not have acted alone at nine here on the History Channel where the past comes alive.