New research based on archaeological evidence shows that the destruction of Pompeii was much more complex than the version popularized over the centuries, revealing that thousands of residents managed to escape before the tragedy and highlighting the decisive role of an influential Roman businesswoman in organizing an evacuation that may have saved countless lives.
For decades, the most well-known image of Pompeii was that of an entire city buried in moments by the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius. However, new archaeological analyses are dismantling this narrative and revealing a much richer, human, and surprising story. According to a report published by IFLScience on July 22, 2026, experts involved in the new documentary series “Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston”, by National Geographic, present evidence that thousands of inhabitants managed to flee before the catastrophe that marked the history of the Roman Empire.
The research brings together recent archaeological discoveries, updated interpretations of excavations, and new studies on the remains left by the eruption that occurred on August 24, 79 AD, offering a perspective that challenges one of the most well-known episodes of Antiquity.
The greatest tragedy of Pompeii did not kill the entire population
The eruption of Vesuvius continues to be considered one of the greatest natural disasters in history. After several days of constant tremors, the volcano erupted, releasing a gigantic amount of thermal energy — estimated to be about 100,000 times greater than the energy released by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.
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Despite the scale of the disaster, National Geographic archaeologist and explorer Prof. Caitie Barrett states that there is a widely spread misconception about the episode.
According to her, many people believe that the approximately 20,000 residents of Pompeii died during the pyroclastic flows. However, the archaeological record currently available points to a very different scenario.
Although the exact number of victims can never be determined with absolute precision, researchers have found evidence indicating about 2,000 deaths, a number significantly lower than the estimated population of the city.
This means that thousands of people managed to escape before the complete destruction.
This conclusion profoundly alters the way historians interpret the events of that day and demonstrates that part of the population noticed the signs of the volcano before the most devastating phase of the eruption.
Excavations reveal that some evacuations were planned
Among the most interesting discoveries presented by the documentary series is the story of a character initially known as Julius Felix.
For many years, it was believed that this name belonged to a Roman businessman responsible for organizing the evacuation of a property shortly before the eruption.
The excavation records show that the enormous bath complex belonging to Felix was completely empty when it was buried.
There were no horses.
There were no carts.
There were no valuables.
Researchers interpret this scenario as a strong indication of an organized evacuation before the arrival of pyroclastic flows.
However, new analyses have completely changed this story.
Experts discovered that Julius Felix was, in fact, Julia Felix, one of the many businesswomen operating in Pompeii during the Roman period.
The revelation changes not only the character’s identity but also broadens the understanding of the female role in the economy of Ancient Rome.
Julia Felix challenges an old stereotype about Roman women
The discovery also confronts a widely held traditional view of Roman society.
It is common to imagine that women could hardly manage properties or conduct important businesses during that period.
However, according to Caitie Barrett, this perception does not correspond to what archaeological evidence shows.
The researcher explains that many of the historical texts that have survived to this day were written by men belonging to the Roman elites, who described society from their own perspective.
Yet the archaeological remains tell a much more diverse story.
Inscriptions, everyday objects, and records found in Pompeii reveal that women actively participated in the economy, managed estates, ran commercial establishments, worked in various professions, and performed essential functions for the city’s life.
Julia Felix is one of the most emblematic examples of this reality.
Besides managing a large complex of public baths, everything indicates that she built her position almost entirely on her own.
An inscription found on her property stated that she was the daughter of a man of “spurious” origin, an expression used at the time to indicate birth out of wedlock or unknown ancestry.
Even though this could have been a possible reason for social prejudice, this information appeared publicly, demonstrating that Julia did not hide her origin.
How did Julia know she needed to flee?
This remains one of the most intriguing questions in archaeology.
According to Caitie Barrett, this is precisely one of the limits of archaeological science.
The objects found can reveal habits, social structures, diet, economic activities, and numerous aspects of daily life.
However, they do not allow us to understand exactly what each person was thinking at that moment.
Still, the evidence suggests that some residents noticed the signs emitted by Vesuvius days before the great explosion.
The constant earthquakes, structural damages, and other natural changes may have led part of the population to abandon the city before the tragedy.
Although there is no definitive confirmation of which signs Julia Felix interpreted, experts believe that her organized evacuation hardly happened by chance.
Pompeii continues revealing new secrets almost two thousand years later
Few archaeological sites offer as much information about everyday life in Antiquity as Pompeii.
The exceptional preservation caused by volcanic ash allowed streets, residences, paintings, graffiti, household objects, and even molds of the victims’ bodies to remain practically intact for almost two thousand years.
According to Barrett, the site is so studied that today there is practically an “archaeology of archaeology itself.”
In the excavations she coordinates, even traces left by 19th-century archaeologists are found.
Among them are terracotta pipes used by the first researchers, old tools, and marks of the techniques employed in the excavations carried out over a hundred years ago.
These records help reconstruct not only the history of the Roman city but also the evolution of archaeology itself over time.
Vesuvius remains active and continues to be monitored
Although the tragedy occurred almost two millennia ago, Mount Vesuvius remains an active volcano.
Experts estimate that it has erupted about 50 times throughout its geological history.
Located near Naples, in one of the most densely populated regions of Italy, Vesuvius is considered by the Italian government to be one of the highest-risk volcanoes on the planet.
The big difference between the ancient world and today is the technology available.
Today, modern volcanic monitoring systems continuously track seismic changes, gas emissions, and ground deformations, allowing for the prediction of potential eruptions with enough advance notice to organize evacuations and drastically reduce the risk to the population.
Even so, the history of Pompeii remains a powerful reminder of the force of nature and the importance of science in understanding both the past and the challenges of the present.
The new series “Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston” aims to reconstruct these events based on the most recent archaeological evidence, offering a much more accurate view of the last days of the ancient Roman city.
What more can archaeology still reveal about Pompeii?
Even after centuries of excavations, Pompeii continues to surprise researchers from around the world. Each new discovery helps to correct old interpretations and shows that the city still holds numerous secrets under its ashes. In your opinion, which revelation about the life of the ancient Romans caught your attention the most, and what other part of this story would you like to see clarified by future research?
