Emily Chan
Recently, the remains of two victims of the Mount Vesuvius eruption that wiped out the city of Pompeii almost 2,000 years ago were unearthed. Archaeologists said their skeletons were found in what was likely the bedroom of their home.
The discovery provides a glimpse into the chaos that ensued during the last moments of the people who tried to flee the ancient Roman city.
Pompeii was located south of Naples. The city was six miles away from Mount Vesuvius, which is still considered an active volcano today.
It is estimated that around 10,000 to 20,000 people lived in Pompeii when the volcano erupted in A.D. 79. The ash, lava, and hot volcanic gas killed about 2,000 people within just 20 minutes.
According to officials from the Pompeii Archaeological Park, the skeletons once belonged to a man and a woman. They were discovered in a nine-by-11.5-foot room in a house that archaeologists started excavating in 2023. The house was in a section of Pompeii called Region IX. It was one of nine neighborhoods that made up the city and covered roughly an acre of land.
The woman’s skeleton was lying on a bed with a collection of treasures, including gold, silver, and bronze coins, a pair of gold earrings, and a pair of pearl earrings.
She also had a key, which may have been for the small chest situated across from the bed, suggesting an attempt to grab her valuables before trying to escape. An analysis of her bones determined that she was about 35 to 45 years old when she died.
The man had gotten trapped in a tight corner of the room next to what appeared to be an exit. He was crushed by a collapsing wall. At the time of his death, he was 15 to 20 years old. The relationship between the man and the woman is unknown.
Archaeologists also uncovered the remnants of a three-legged stool and a wooden service table topped with marble. Several bronze, glass, and ceramic tableware and lamps cluttered the surface of the table. The archaeologists poured plasters into the holes of the remnants to reconstruct the furniture pieces.
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