It was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history
A new study claims that behind the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. An earthquake immediately followed. Perhaps this cataclysm led to the death of people who survived the initial destruction.
It was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, leaving behind thousands of preserved bodies, writes the Daily Mail. But people who lived in Pompeii when Vesuvius exploded also had to deal with another natural disaster, the study says.
Archaeologists believe that shortly after the volcanic eruption in Italy in 79 AD, a strong earthquake shook the city. According to them, it could lead to the death of people who survived the initial destruction.
A team from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, together with experts from the Pompeii Archaeological Park, are excavating the ruins of the destroyed city. The volcanic eruption that occurred almost 2000 years ago found the townspeople in the midst of their daily lives. For about 18 hours, small rocks and ash particles fell on the city, forcing people to seek shelter. A pyroclastic flow of hot gas and volcanic material then swept through the city at tremendous speed, killing people almost instantly.
Layers of petrified ash preserved the bodies of those killed in Pompeii, allowing archaeologists to make detailed casts of their final moments.
However, during the excavations, the researchers discovered special characteristics of the destroyed buildings they analyzed. When scientists discovered two skeletons with severe fractures and injuries, they began to suspect that another natural disaster had caused even more death and destruction among survivors who may have thought themselves safe.
«People who did not leave their shelters may have been crushed by the collapse of already overloaded buildings caused by the earthquake, says study author Dr. Valeria Amoretti. “This was the fate of the two people we found.”
The researchers found two male skeletons, both around 50 years old. Their position suggests that one of them was suddenly crushed by the collapse of a large section of wall, causing severe injuries that led to immediate death.
The other man appeared to be aware of the danger and tried to protect himself with a round wooden object, faint traces of which the researchers found in nearby volcanic deposits.
There are several clues that the men did not die from ash inhalation or extreme heat, such as their location in the ground, the scientists said.
Although it was initially thought that these ancient city residents may have died in the earthquake that preceded the eruption, new analysis shows that both survived the first phase of the eruption and were then crushed by collapsing walls during the subsequent earthquake.
The findings the data is consistent with excerpts dating back to the time of the eruption, which describe «houses that were now rocking from side to side with frequent and violent shaking, as if shaken to their very foundations.»
Study co-author Dr. Gabriel Zuchtriegel , director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said: «New understanding of the destruction of Pompeii allows us to get very close to the experiences of the people who lived here 2,000 years ago. The choices they made, and the dynamics of events that remain the focus of our research, shaped life and death in the last hours of the city's existence.»
The results were published in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science.
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