the freshest face in history
Welcome! I’m Dr. Jess Venner, award-winning ancient historian, debut author, content creator, and presenter. Whether you’ve seen me on screen, followed my storytelling online, or found me through your love of Pompeii, you’re in the right place.
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My research explores the Roman Mediterranean, with a particular focus on Pompeii and Herculaneum. I’m especially interested in the lives of those often pushed to the margins: freedpeople, workers, women, innkeepers, and traders. I hold a PhD in Roman History and work actively as an academic and public historian.
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I’m an Early Career Research Associate at the Institute of Classical Studies, Trustee of The Herculaneum Society, Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and Editor of Vesuvian Sites for the Gardens of the Roman Empire project. I’ve excavated at Oplontis and other sites across Italy and the UK, and was recently awarded the Rome Award for my research. I was also shortlisted for the Future Presenters Award.
Whether I’m filming in a Roman city, writing about failure in Dante’s world, or giving a conference paper on post-earthquake resilience, my goal is always the same: to blend academic rigour with storytelling that brings lost voices to life, and makes the past feel powerfully present.
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