The story of Pompeii's final 24 hours | Jess Venner | TEDxManchester
Discover the untold stories of Pompeii in this moving talk that shifts the focus from a "frozen" disaster to the ordinary lives of the people who lived it. We journey through the harrowing hours of the AD 79 eruption including the 21-mile ash column witnessed by Pliny the Younger to the tragic discoveries in the boat sheds of Herculaneum.Pompeii isn't just a story of death; it is also a profound study of resilience. Jess Venner explores how the city rebuilt after the earthquake of AD 62, finding hope in the cult of Isis and adapting their economy to survive. From carbonised bread loaves to political graffiti, the evidence reveal a community that refused to be defeated by crisis.
Highlights include..
- The daily life of shopkeepers and families before the ash.
- The terrifying reality of pyroclastic flows and tsunamis.
- How the Temple of Isis symbolised rebirth and restoration.
- What Pompeii teaches us about the human capacity for adaptation.
Dr. Jess Venner is an award-winning ancient historian, writer, and presenter, bringing history to life for millions worldwide. In particular, her groundbreaking work on Pompeii’s urban environment has been published in leading journals and presented globally.
In January 2026, she began a prestigious Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at the University of Oxford, researching the early Roman Empire. Her debut non-fiction book, The Lost Voices of Pompeii, is set to be published by HarperCollins in 2026.
Outside academia, Jess has seen widespread success in connecting with audiences through her digital platform Life in the Past Lane on TikTok and Instagram among other platforms. She has been recognised across media, shortlisted for the Canon Best Original Content Creator Award (ITV Creator Awards 2025) and the Future Presenter Award (New Voice Awards 2024).
Above all, Jess is passionate about making history accessible, exciting, and fun for everyone.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx Receive SMS online on sms24.me
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