Archaeologists from Archaeological Park of Pompeiinear Naples, in the south of Italy, revealed this Saturday that they found two almost intact bodies that could be reconstructed in the position they were at the time of his death. The bodies would have been petrified when the eruption of the Vesuvius volcano in the year 79 of the Christian era. Analysis of the site revealed that they were probably trying to escape when the first floor of the house collapsed. The researchers believe that the pyroclastic flow, one of the phenomena resulting from the eruptions, flooded the room and buried residents in the ashes.
The discovery occurred a few days ago in the excavation that has been taking place since the beginning of the year in the large suburban village of Civita Giuliana, a luxurious property located in the northwest part of the city, where in 2017 some remains of three horses had already been found. Now these two men have been discovered: one, whose age will be between 30 and 40 and who is wrapped in a woolen cloak, appears to be a rich man; the other, between 18 and 23, measuring 1.56 meters, may be a slave. Spinal compressions unusual for his age indicate that he carried a lot of weight and did manual labor. In both bodies it is possible to see the folds of the clothes. They seem to be asleep on the floor, with their hands still on their chest and their fingers crossed over the tunic.
The operation, which was defined as “incredible” by Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini, is still ongoing. According to archaeologists, the excavation may perhaps clarify in the coming months the role of these two men and where they were going at the time of the tragedy. However, “the first studies indicate that the death must have occurred at dawn on the second day of the eruption, that is, around 9 am on October 25, 79 AD”.
Buried by the eruption of Vesuvius, the ancient city of Pompeii is the second most visited place in Italy, after the Colosseum in Rome, with about four million visitors in 2019. Only a third of the city, which currently extends over 44 hectares, it has already been excavated by archaeologists.
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