Fourth style: the four styles described by August Mau, characterised by the painting of framed scenes, often featuring human figures and architectural motifs

pyroclastic surge: a low-density turbulent cloud billowing over the ground, travelling at incredible speeds of up to 300km/hr

greave: armour worn to protect the lower leg

Doric column: a type of ancient Greek column with a smooth, fluted column and smooth, round capital

cache: valuable item concealed in a hiding place

epigraphic: study of inscriptions on stone or metal

Triton: a greek god, messenger of the sea, son of Neptune and Amphitrite

tableau: a scene on stage presented by motionless, silent costumed people

strata: layers of material built up or deposited at a site

pyroclastic flow: a hot, dense, dry avalanche of ground-hugging molten rock, pumice, and gas moving slower then a surge, travelling up to 50km/hr

fulminant shock: a cause of death associated with intense heat

nuées ardentes: French for ‘burning cloud’, a white cloud of hot ash, rock and lava fragments ejected into the air from a volcano, particularly from a pyroclastic flow

programmata: public notices advertising potential candidates in forthcoming elections

shabti: a small statuette included in Egyptian funeral goods, believed to work for the deceased in the afterlife

consul: one of two annually elected chief magistrates in the Roman political system

stratigraphic: