Italian Ministry of CultureThe remains of the newly-unearthed woman found at Pompeii, surrounded by gold coins.
During recent excavations at Pompeii Archaeological Park in Italy, researchers discovered the remains of two victims, one male and one female, in a makeshift bedroom of a villa in the city’s central region.
The two individuals likely fled to the room for shelter during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. But when ash and pyroclastic flows overtook the villa, the two met their tragic end.
Alongside the two victims’ remains, archaeologists discovered jewelry and a collection of Roman coins, revealing information about the lives of Pompeiians nearly 2,000 years ago.
Archaeologists Discover Two Pompeii Victims Who Died Trapped In Their Bedroom
Italian Ministry of CultureAn archaeologist excavates the remains of the man recently found at Pompeii.
Recently, archaeologists excavating a room in the Regio IX, Insula 10 area of Pompeii Archaeological Park discovered the remains of two individuals who lost their lives during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.
This dig was part of a larger project to improve security and the hydrogeological structure of the excavation areas, which date back thousands of years.
The archaeological team made the discovery in a makeshift bedroom in a villa that was undergoing renovations when the volcano erupted. It appears that the two victims, one male and one female, fled to the spare bedroom during the disaster.
Italian Ministry of CultureThe spare bedroom in the villa where the bodies were discovered.
The ash, lava, and falling rocks then blocked the couple’s exit, leaving them trapped in the room and helpless to escape the coming flow of lava.
“The two people, waiting for the end of the rain of lapilli [rock-like, semi-hardened pieces of lava] that, for hours, had been invading the open spaces in the rest of the house,” wrote the Italian Ministry of Culture in a recent statement. “The space, thanks to the closed frame, remained clear of the pumice that instead filled the adjacent living room, effectively blocking the possibility for the two victims to reopen the door and escape. Trapped in the narrow room they found death with the arrival of the pyroclastic flows.”
Imprints in the ash show researchers the exact layout of the room and where the victims met their end. The female victim died in the room’s bed covered in coins and jewelry while the male perished at the foot of the bed.
Gold Jewelry And Coins Are Found Alongside These Victims Of Vesuvius
Italian Ministry of CultureGold jewelry and coins discovered near the Pompeii victims.
Alongside the remains of the two Pompeii victims, archaeologists unearthed jewelry and several coins. Researchers discovered the jewelry, including pearl earrings and gold necklaces, next to the female victim’s body.
At the time of her death, the woman was also carrying a collection of bronze, silver, and gold coins.
Italian Ministry of CultureA collection of gold coins recovered near the female victim’s body.
Researchers now hope to learn more about both the two victims as well as life in Pompeii in general by analyzing these items.
“The opportunity to analyze the invaluable anthropological data on the two victims… allows us to recover a considerable amount of data on the daily life of ancient Pompeians”, site director Gabriel Zuchtriegel stated, according to the Italian Ministry of Culture’s statement.
Italian Ministry of CultureA researcher extracts a coin from the site.
In recent months, elsewhere at the remains of Pompeii, archaeologists have made a host of other stunning finds, including a mat-making workshop, a banquet room filled with frescoes, a temple dedicated to Hercules, and a series of gladiator drawings likely made by children. From here, who knows what further discoveries are just waiting to be made among the ruins of this doomed Roman city.