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Archaeologists discover 2 new skeletons at Pompeii

May 16, 2023

The Roman city was wiped out by the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. The remains of more than 1,000 people have been uncovered at the Pompeii site.

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Archaeologist working on discovery of skeleton at Pompeii
Archaeologists have unearthed two skeletons at the Pompeii site near Naples, southern ItalyImage: Ministero Della Cultura/ZUMA Wire/IMAGO

Archeologists at Pompeii on Tuesday said that they had uncovered two new skeletons at the site.

The Roman city, located near the southern Italian city of Naples, was wiped out by the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.

The city was covered in volcanic ash, preserving the bodies of many of its residents.

What do we know about the skeletons?

The pair are believed to be two males aged at least 55. They were found in recent excavations at the "Chaste Lover" block of buildings at the site, where frescoes and mule skeletons had been unearthed in the past.

The two men are believed to have been killed as an earthquake knocked down a wall. One of the skeletons had an arm raised.

The Pompeii archaeological park said that the man's "raised arm perhaps refers to the tragic image of a vain attempt to protect himself from falling masonry."

Two skeletons discovered in a room in the Pompeii archaeological site alongside artefacts and broken walls
The two men are believed to have been killed as an earthquake knocked down a wallImage: Ministero Della Cultura/ZUMA Press/IMAGO

The two victims "probably died due to multiple traumas caused by the collapse of part of the building," the Pompeii archaeological park said in a statement.

Italian Culture Minister Genaro Sangiuliano said that the discovery shows "how much there is still to discover about the terrible eruption."

"Modern excavation techniques help us better understand the hell that completely destroyed the city of Pompeii in two days and killed many of its inhabitants," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the Pompeii site's director.

Other discoveries

The remains of more than 1,000 people have been uncovered at the Pompeii site.

In November, archeologists unearthed two bodies that were believed to be a young slave and his owner.

Archaeologists estimate that 15 to 20 percent of Pompeii's population died in the eruption, mostly from thermal shock.

Earthquakes before and during the eruption also devastated the city's population.

"Among the causes of death, the collapse of buildings, in some cases due to earthquakes that accompanied the eruption, proved to be a lethal threat," the Pompeii archaeological park said.

"In recent years, we have realized there were violent, powerful seismic events that were happening at the time of the eruption,'' Zuchtriegel said.

sdi/jcg (AFP, dpa, AP)