the freshest face in history
I’m Dr Jess Venner, an ancient historian, archaeologist, author, and presenter specialising in ancient Rome, Pompeii, and Herculaneum.
As an Ancient Historian at the University of Oxford, my work combines academic research with public storytelling, bringing the people and places of the ancient world to life for audiences around the world.
I am a world-leading Pompeii and Herculaneum expert, with particular expertise in Roman daily life, archaeology, urban history, gardens, food, resilience, and the communities who lived around Mount Vesuvius.
Through my digital history platform Life in the Past Lane, my content reaches more than 7 million viewers, with a community of over 300,000 followers across social media.
7M+ viewers · 300K+ followers · TEDx Editor’s Pick · Award-winning creator · HarperCollins author
Pompeii & Herculaneum Expert
Pompeii and Herculaneum lie at the heart of my academic and public work.
My research explores the lives of ordinary people in the Roman world and what archaeology can reveal about how they lived, worked, ate, cultivated the landscape and responded to periods of disruption.
I regularly contribute my expertise on Pompeii, Herculaneum, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Roman archaeology, and everyday life in ancient Rome for documentaries, television, radio, podcasts, publications, and digital media.
My aim is to move beyond the familiar image of Rome as a world of emperors, gladiators, and monuments and recover something much more interesting: what it actually felt like to live there.
Author of The Lost Voices of Pompeii
I am the author of The Lost Voices of Pompeii, published in April 2026 by HarperCollins in the UK and Commonwealth, William Morrow in North America, and Diamond in Japan. It has also been printed in Spanish and Bulgarian.
The book reconstructs the final day of Pompeii through the lives of the people who experienced it, using archaeology and ancient evidence to reveal the city at street level: its homes, businesses, gardens, relationships, communities and extraordinary inhabitants.
Ancient History Presenter & Media Expert
As an ancient history presenter and historical expert, I work across television, documentary, radio, podcasts, publishing, live events and digital media.
I have interviewed Tom Hiddleston in Pompeii for his Out of Time documentary, presented for TEDx, where my talk was selected as an Editor’s Pick, and my work and historical expertise have appeared in The Times, the Times Literary Supplement (TLS), HistoryExtra, and other national and international media. I also appeared on SkyNews to talk about AI and history.
My presenting and digital history work has also received industry recognition through awards, nominations and shortlists for history presenting and content creation.
I am available for:
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Television and documentary presenting
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Expert interviews and historical commentary
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Pompeii and Herculaneum consultancy
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Roman history and archaeology consultancy
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Radio and podcast appearances
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Keynote talks and public speaking
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Museums and cultural partnerships
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Brand and editorial collaborations
History Content Creator
Through Life in the Past Lane, I make research-led history content for an international online audience of more than 300,000 followers, reaching over 7 million viewers across my platforms.
My videos explore ancient Rome, Pompeii, Herculaneum, archaeology, forgotten civilisations and the everyday lives of people in the ancient world, combining academic expertise with accessible storytelling.
I work with museums, heritage organisations, publishers, broadcasters and selected brands to create historically rigorous content that reaches audiences far beyond traditional academic spaces.
Making the Ancient World Human
Whether I’m researching Pompeii at Oxford, standing in a Roman street, presenting on camera or telling a story to millions of people online, my work starts with the same question:
What can the evidence tell us about the people who were actually there?
Explore my book, research, presenting, media appearances and history content.
Jess is a dynamic presenter and makes history relatable for millions of viewers each month.
Jess' debut book on Pompeii, out in April 2026, charts the final day of seven people who really lived in the city.
Jess has appeared on podcasts and has spoken publicly around the world for public and academic audiences.
Jess is an award-winning ancient historian at the University of Oxford with over a decade of experience in academic research.