When Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79, the damage wreaked was catastrophic. Ash and pumice darkened the skies, and hot gas flowed from the volcano. Uncovering the victims, fated to lie frozen in time for 2,000 years, has shown they died in a range of gruesome ways. Nicola Davis speaks to Pier Paolo Petrone about his work analysing ancient inhabitants of Pompeii and nearby towns, and what it tells us about the risk people face today. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod