Pompeii has haunted the human imagination since the moment its ash-covered streets were rediscovered, and this evening with archaeologist Caitie Barrett digs deeper into that fascination. As part of the National Geographic Live series, Barrett shares stories from recent excavations, walking the audience through the everyday details that survived the eruption of Vesuvius: kitchens frozen mid-meal, graffiti scrawled on walls, the layout of homes and shops that give a sense of how ordinary Romans actually lived. Photographs and video from active dig sites bring a scholarly precision to what could otherwise feel like distant history.

Reynolds Hall, with its tiered balconies and full orchestral acoustics, provides a fitting backdrop for a presentation that blends scientific inquiry with the kind of storytelling that makes ancient ruins feel immediate. Expect a mix of new discoveries and long-studied mysteries, presented by someone who has spent her career sifting through the volcanic layers of one of the ancient world's most studied disasters.