Italian scientists from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Rome have revealed new details about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum along with their populations nearly 2,000 years ago. The research was published in the scientific journal magazine Frontiers in Earth Science (FES).
Many Pompeii residents drowned in the first 18 hours and were buried under ash and pumice, and some fell victim to the pyroclastic waves that later devastated the city.
A study of two recently discovered skeletons showed another devastating factor: a powerful earthquake collapsed the walls of buildings on people trying to take shelter in them.
During the excavations, archaeologists found the remains of two men, both of whom were about 50 years old when they died. The Pompeians received injuries incompatible with life – fractures of the skull, pelvis, spine and limbs.
Researchers concluded that the discovered townspeople managed to survive the volcanic ash rain but fell victim to falling walls.
The authors of the scientific study added that the new discovery completes the overall picture of the catastrophe that occurred in ancient times.
Earlier historians I learnedWhat was the fate of the inhabitants of Pompeii who survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?