The famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius took place nearly 2,000 year ago, yet experts are still making new discoveries about the disaster today.
Now, experts are studying a mysterious safe that was discovered in a room in Pompeii - the ancient Roman city in Vesuvius’ firing line.
The safe was discovered back in the 1980s alongside several skeletons adorned in jewellery, as well as one skeleton that appeared to have been stripped of its jewels.
This strange set-up has recently been re-examined as part of Channel 5’s new documentary series, Ancient Mysteries.
Speaking in the documentary, the narrator explained: “In a wealthy suburb of Pompeii, experts are trying to solve a 2,000-year-old murder mystery.
“Because there is evidence throughout that the population were doing all they could to protect their valuables from robbers.
“The most impressive example of this fear of violent theft was found at the warehouse where the two groups of bodies were discovered.”
The researchers believe that the strong box may have belonged to the owner of the building.
The narrator added: “This ornate strongbox was the Roman answer to the state-of-the-art home security system.
“It’s a clear indication of the lengths the wealthy were going to in order to protect their valuables.
“The highly-prized item featured a four-stage locking mechanism to protect any riches inside.
“It was so well made, it took a full-scale natural disaster to breach its defence.
“But evidence from Pompeii suggests that in the lead-up to the devastating eruption, crime was rampant across the city.”
