Pompeii couple clung to wealth as cloud of volcanic ash rained down
A couple found in Pompeii desperately clung to their gold coins and jewellery and awaited their fate before meeting a lingering death from a fatal volcanic eruption, archaeologists have revealed.
The remains of a young man and an older woman found recently at the historic site almost 2,000 years after the disaster are providing clues to scientists as to who they were.
The bodies were found inside a small, makeshift bedroom in a villa that was undergoing reconstruction when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD.
Archaeologists believe the house, located at Regio IX, Insula 10 in the city, probably belonged to a politician named Aulus Rustius Verus, who enjoyed a grand living space.
The property also boasted a commercial bakery and laundry, suggesting the owners would have had accumulated some wealth.
The remains of a young man and an older woman found recently at the historic site of Pompeii almost 2,000 years after the disaster are providing clues to scientists as to who they were
The new remains have remained undiscovered for nearly 2,000 years
At the point of the eruption, the man and woman found refuge in a small room as they waited for the rain of ash and debris to subside
The skeletons were found with gold coins and jewellery suggesting they had wealth and status
At the point of the eruption, the man and woman found refuge in a small room as they waited for the rain of ash and debris to subside.
A number of objects were found inside the room, including a stool, a chest, a table with a marble top and a bronze candleabrum.
Of particular interest to historians is that the woman was found with gold, silver and bronze coins, as well as pearl earrings and other jewels.
Richard Bradley, chief creative officer of Lion TV, which has commissioned an episode of BBC series Pompeii: The New Dig to follow the archaeologists on their latest finds, described the discovery as ‘poignant’.
Speaking to The Times, he said: ‘For the archaeologists and for our filming team, no matter how often they confront this sort of thing, there is no getting away from the fact that these were real people who died in a terrible tragedy.’
He added that the objects found on the woman were particularly special.
‘The pearl earrings are beautiful and it is rare to find people with gold coins in Pompeii,’ Bradley said.
In the event however, neither jewels nor coins could save the pair.
The remains of the female victim had gold, silver and bronze Roman coins nearby
Scientists believe their deaths would have been slow and would have eventually succumbed to the overwhelming heat, toxic gas, and other volcanic matter coming their way
A number of objects were found inside the room, including a stool, a chest, a table with a marble top and a bronze candleabrum
They would have found themselves trapped in the room after volcanic rocks blocked the door – preventing them from escaping from the fast-moving cloud of ash and debris.
Scientists believe their deaths would have been slow and would have eventually succumbed to the overwhelming heat, toxic gas, and other volcanic matter coming their way.
Analysis of their bones in coming months should provide more detail as to whether they had a good diet and their status within the tragic Roman city.
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the site director at Pompeii, said: ‘The opportunity to analyse the invaluable anthropological data on the two victims … allows us to recover a considerable amount of data on the daily life of ancient Pompeians.’
The once-thriving city of Pompeii, near Naples, and the surrounding countryside was submerged by volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius exploded.
It killed thousands of Romans who had no idea they were living beneath one of Europe’s biggest volcanoes which buried the city in a thick layer of ash, preserving many of its residents and buildings.
The ancient city was not rediscovered until the 16th century and the excavation of the site began in 1738 and has continued ever since.
In recent years the site has seen a burst of archaeological activity aimed at halting decades of decay and neglect.
In April, archeologists uncovered remarkably preserved ‘fresco’ paintings on a wall at a former private residence along Via di Nola, one of Pompeii’s longest streets.
One of the stunning artworks depicts Helen of Troy, a beautiful woman in Greek mythology, meeting Paris, prince of Troy, for the first time.
The frescos have been discovered in the ‘black room’, an ‘imposing’ banquet hall with elegant black walls at a former private residence along Via di Nola.
It’s being called the black room because it was painted black, likely to mask soot from oil lamps that would have burnt.
Conversely, the room’s mosaic floor is comprised of more than a million tiny and intricately arranged white tiles.
