Skeletons found in Pompeii point to deadly Vesuvius earthquake

Two newly discovered skeletons found at fateful place Roman town of Pompeii The most famous volcanic eruptions of the ancient world show that they also brought with them a lesser-known threat: earthquakes.

The Italian Ministry of Culture revealed Tuesday the bodies of two men, probably in their 50s, who died in an earthquake caused by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The body was found covered in collapsing wall masonry, and further examination revealed that it had died on impact and had its bones shattered.

German archaeologist Gabriel Zstriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said, “Modern excavation techniques have allowed us to delve deeper into the hellish conditions that completely destroyed the city of Pompeii in two days and killed many of its inhabitants. It helps me understand,” he said.

The eruption lasted more than 24 hours and unleashed the force of thousands of nuclear bombs on surrounding Roman towns and communities.

Pyroclastic surges, with hot ash and lava flowing down the sides of the volcano like an avalanche at speeds of over 80 miles per hour, destroyed nearly everything in their path.

The wall of destruction was so severe that ash fragments were found between the bones of the two bodies, according to state-of-the-art scientific methods that can pinpoint the process leading up to the victim’s death down to the last seconds. .

But new methods show that they are two of the many people most likely killed in the devastating earthquake that coincided with the eruption.

Archaeologist Sophie Haye, who works in the media department of the Pompei Archaeological Park, told NBC News that the earthquake that caused the two deaths appeared to have occurred in the early stages of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

“The upper part of the wall was cracked and shifted sideways, a phenomenon characteristic of tremors, in contrast to pyroclastic flow forces. We therefore suspect that these collapses, which caused two fatalities, were I know what happened in the early stages of the eruption,” she said.

Zuchtriegel and other archaeologists wrote in the online journal Archaeological Park of Pompeii that layers of volcanic material, small fragments of lapilli and volcanic ash, had to be removed to find the remains. ing. The ash and rock debris is estimated to have fallen over 18 hours at a rate of 220 pounds per 10 square feet per hour.

The excavation team at the Insula dei dei Casti Amanti (House of the Chaste Lovers) found eight Roman vessels propped up against a well, as well as amphorae, in the very place where they had been abandoned some 2,000 years ago. discovered.

About 13,000 people lived in Pompeii, about 22 kilometers southeast of present-day Naples. Both Pompeii and neighboring Herculaneum were seaside resorts favored by wealthy Romans, but both were left in ruins.

However, they were found not in a grand palace, but in a mundane place undergoing renovations days after the previous one, during a period known for intense seismic activity.

“The house wasn’t anything extravagant. There were a lot of things, like amphorae and cooking pots, so it was more of a workshop than a lime work,” said Süstriegel.

“There was an amphora with water to plaster the walls. Here we see a city that is trying to recover and transform, but the ensuing eruption left everything in hellish conditions for just two days. You will be crushed.”

Archaeologists estimate that many of the buildings and remains that Vesuvius besieged in AD 79 are still buried and never found.

The ruins of Pompeii were not rediscovered until the 16th century and have since become a major tourist attraction. His $115 million worth project funded by the European Union is underway to reveal more of its secrets.

“The discovery of these two skeletons shows that a lot of research still needs to be done and more excavations to reveal everything that remains.” [hiding] In this immense treasure,” Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said in a statement.

earlier this year Pompeii’s opulent mansion unveiled After 20 years of restoration. In 2020, archaeologists will Roma’s equivalent of a fast food restaurant: a frescoed thermopolia or a hot drink counter. It seems to have met the needs of wealthy tourists.