Digging for the Truth — Season 1, Episode 3: Pompeii Secrets Revealed

Episode synopsis

In 79 AD, the volcano Vesuvius exploded in one of history's deadliest eruptions, burying the city of Pompeii and other Roman towns along the Bay of Naples beneath layers of ash and pumice. Pompeii was rediscovered in the 18th century, but only recently have archaeologists and volcanologists come to understand exactly how the eruption unfolded, and why it took the people of Pompeii almost entirely by surprise. Intrigued, host Josh Bernstein visits the Bay of Naples, and learns the entire area is built on ancient volcanic rock, some of it still steaming. He climbs the world's most active volcano--Stromboli--an island near Sicily, where ""fireworks"" from the mountain are a nightly entertainment. Back at Pompeii, he searches for clues that might have enlightened the Romans to the growing threat in their midst. And he literally plays with fire as he follows the story right into the heart of Vesuvius.

About Digging for the Truth

Digging for the Truth was a History Channel television series. The first three seasons of the show focused on host Josh Bernstein, who journeyed on various explorations of historical icons and mysteries. Bernstein is the president and CEO of BOSS and has a degree in anthropology and psychology from Cornell University. The show airs every Monday night at 9:00 EST on the History Channel. The series premiered in January, 2005 and has since become the highest-rated series in the history of The History Channel, which was surprising given the previous show "Time Titans" from the production crew never made it past the pilot. The third season premiered on January 22, 2007, with a 2-hour special event on the quest for Atlantis. Bernstein announced on February 20, 2007, that he would be leaving The History Channel and Digging for the Truth, and would, as of April, join The Discovery Channel as an executive producer and host of a new prime-time series and specials. Hunter Ellis, host of Tactical to Practical and Man, Moment, Machine for The History Channel, then replaced Josh Bernstein as host.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Who Built Egypt's Pyramids?
• E2Nefertiti: The Mummy Returns
• E4Hunt for the Lost Ark
• E5The Holy Grail
• E6The Iceman Cometh
• E7Quest for King Solomon's Gold
• E8Passage to the Maya Underworld
• E9The Lost Tribe of Israel
• E10Secrets of the Nazca Lines
• E11The Search for El Dorado
• E12Giants of Easter Island
• E13Mystery of the Anasazi