In Pompeii, archaeologists have discovered another testimony to the dramatic events of the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. It is the remains of a wealthy man who, along with his house slave, was surprised and killed by one of the glowing streams of ash. Protected by a thick layer of ash, their corpses have stood the test of time.
“It is impossible to see these deformed bodies and not be touched. “This is no art, no imitation, these are her bones, the remains of her flesh and her clothes mixed with plaster – it is the agony of death that takes shape here”, is how the Italian writer Luigi Settembrini described his impressions Pompeii, the city that was buried by the lava and ashes of Vesuvius in 79. Since then, archaeologists have discovered new remains of the people who died at the time and their belongings. They give a unique insight into the life of the ancient world.
Find in the corridor of a suburban villa
Now archaeologists have made a find during excavations in a suburb of ancient Pompeii, which again testifies in a spectacular way to the “torment of death”. Because these are the remains of two men who were caught by a deadly ash stream while fleeing from the volcanic eruption. They were discovered in Civita Giuliana, a residential area around 700 meters southwest of the city center of Pompeii. Since January 2020 the scientists of the Pompeii Archaeological Park have been carrying out excavations in an ancient villa there. They have already uncovered two bedrooms with decorative mosaic floors and a kind of banquet room with columns and marble tiles on the floor.
The scientists came across the latest finds while exploring the villa’s crypto portico. This is a 50 meter long walkway that once ran under the terrace of the villa. At its end it led to a portal that gave access to the upper floors of the villa. When Vesuvius erupted, the gallery was partially destroyed and a thick layer of ash filled most of the corridor. In this layer of ash, the archaeologists discovered the remains of two men.
Slave and master united in death
The first victim is a slender young man between 18 and 25 years old who was around 1.56 meters tall and must have died lying on his back. Closer examination of his skeleton revealed that his spine was showing signs of unusually high levels of stress and compression. The archaeologists conclude that this young man must have done hard physical labor during his lifetime. When he died he wore a short, coarse wool tunic, the folds of which are still clearly visible in the petrified ashes. Given these features, the dead person could have been a slave, the researchers speculate.
The second victim is lying on his back not far from the first, but with his legs bent and his head up. It is about a 40-year-old man of strong stature and about 1.62 meters tall. The prints of his clothes reveal that he was wearing a tunic and over it a coat held with a clasp on the shoulder. Due to his more elaborate clothing and the lack of traces of physical work, the archaeologists suspect that this was the owner of the house or at least a member of the upper class. Apparently he and his house slave were just about to flee when they were surprised and killed by the glowing ash stream.
(Video: Pompeii sites)
After the researchers examined the skeletons of the two dead and took samples, plaster of paris was poured into the hollow forms of her body that had been preserved in the petrified ashes. The cavities had previously been thoroughly examined and measured with laser scanning and endoscopes.
Source: Pompeii Archaeological Park