When Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, the inhabitants of Pompeii died almost immediately as they were overwhelmed by superheated gases and ash, their final moments preserved by a layer of volcanic ash. But newly discovered human remains show that not all deaths were quick.
During the 2023 excavation plan, archaeologists discovered the skeletons of a man and a woman in Pompeii’s Area IX and Island 10 areas. The two were in a room where the woman was found lying on a bed holding gold, silver and copper coins, as well as jewelry including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The man, estimated to be between 15 and 20 years old, was found lying face down in a corner. There were no signs of any fractures to his bones, except for a fracture to his right humerus, which likely occurred posthumously.
Unlike many Pompeii victims, the body showed no signs of death by suffocation.
A new study from the U.S.A. describes the two skeletonsPompeii Excavations e-Journal. Researchers from several Italian universities said the two victims apparently sought refuge in the room and may have been there for several hours. The closed windows may have prevented the pumice from filling the room even as it filled other areas of the house, causing the pair to be trapped until eventually killed by pyroclastic flows (rapidly flowing waves of deadly gases and volcanic material).
The discovery is a reminder that people during volcanic eruptions experienced “even more terrifying and incredible things than we can imagine today because they had no idea what a volcano was,” the researchers wrote in their paper.
The makeshift burial chamber contained many other items, including a marble-topped table, bronze candlesticks, and bronze, glass and ceramic furniture.
“The opportunity to analyze valuable anthropological data on two victims found in an archaeological context that marked their tragic end allowed us to recover a large amount of data on the daily life of ancient Pompeii as well as some microscopic Pompeian story.
Although the disaster occurred nearly 2,000 years ago, archaeologists are still making new discoveries in Pompeii, including exhuming the bodies of the victims. The remains depict the horrific scenes of that day, with rocks and ash falling from the sky. If it’s any consolation, it’s that the pain probably won’t last long, with some scientists estimating that most victims suffocated to death from toxic gases within 15 minutes of the eruption. Other studies suggest victims were roasted or had their skulls exploded. Falling ash and rubble buried the city, leaving it intact.
Not everyone who lived in Pompeii necessarily died when the volcano erupted. Some evidence suggests that some survivors were able to start new lives and even prosper elsewhere.
