When the eruption of Mount Vesuvius swallowed up the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in A.D. 79, it not only froze an ancient civilization, it also preserved the only surviving library from antiquity. The documentary follows attempts over 250 years to unroll and decipher carbonized papyrus rolls found in the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum. Out of the Ashes traces the history of the Herculaneum papyri from the time of the eruption in the first century, to their discovery in 1752, to modern developments that impact their study. In the 21st century, scholars continue to debate the future of the original Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum where the scrolls were all found. The site was never fully excavated and recent discoveries have led many scholars to believe that other scrolls - and perhaps another entire library - may still be buried there.

Tuesday, 1/1/08 from 3:30-4:30 a.m. ET