Archaeologists have discovered the exceptionally well-preserved remains of two men scalded to death by the volcanic eruption that destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii に 79 AD, the Italian culture ministry said on Saturday.
One was probably a man of high status, aged between 30 そして 40, who still bore traces of a woolen cloak under his neck.
The second, probably aged 18 に 23, was dressed in a tunic and had a number of crushed vertebrae, indicating that he had been a slave who did heavy labor.
The remains were found in Civita Giuliana, 700 meters northwest of the center of ancient Pompeii, in an underground chamber in the area of a large villa being excavated.
The casts were found in what was an elegant villa on the outskirts of Pompeii.
The men’s teeth and bones were preserved, and the voids left by their soft tissues were filled with plaster that was left to harden and then excavated to show the outline of their bodies.
“These two victims were perhaps seeking refuge when they were swept away by the pyroclastic current at about 9 in the morning,” said Massimo Osanna, director of the archeological site. “It is a death by thermal shock, as also demonstrated by their clenched feet and hands.”
The bodies were found during recent excavations.
声明の中で, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said the find underlined Pompeii’s status as “an incredible place for research and study.”
Pompeii, 23 kilometers (14 マイル) southeast of Naples, was home to about 13,000 people when the eruption buried it under under ash, pumice pebbles and dust, freezing it in time.
The remains were not discovered until the 16th century and organized excavations began around 1750. しかしながら, more recently, attention has focused on arresting the decay or collapse of the exposed ruins.
