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Archaeologists have discovered the well-preserved remains of two men who died in the volcanic eruption that destroyed the ancient city of Pompeii in AD 79, Italy’s culture minister said on Saturday, according to Reuters, quoted by Agerpres.
One of them was probably a man of high social status, between 30 and 40 years old, who still had the traces of a woolen cloak tucked under his chin.
The second, aged between 18 and 23, wore a tunic and had several broken vertebrae, indicating that he was a hard-working slave.
The remains were discovered in Civita Giuliana, 700 meters northwest of the center of ancient Pompeii, in an underground room near a villa where excavations are taking place.
The teeth and bones were preserved, and the soft tissue cavities were filled with plaster, allowed to harden, and then excavated to highlight the contours of the bodies.
“These two victims were probably seeking shelter when they were destroyed by the pyroclastic current around 9 am,” said Massimo Osanna, director of the archaeological site. “They died of heat shock, as evidenced by their clenched legs and hands.”
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Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said in a statement that the discovery underscores the status of the city of Pompeii “as an incredible place for research and study.”
Pompeii, located 23 kilometers southeast of Naples, had some 13,000 inhabitants when it was buried under volcanic ash, pumice stone and dust, freezing in time.
The ruins of the city were only discovered in the 16th century and organized archaeological excavations began around 1750. However, in more recent times, the focus has been on preserving the exposed ruins that have begun to disintegrate.
