The remains of two victims from the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius were recently uncovered in Pompeii. According to a Monday article in the Pompeii Sites E-Journal, these remains help bring a sense of humanity to the ancient event.
The skeletal remains belong to a man and a woman. They had sought shelter in a bedroom during the eruption that buried the ancient Roman town under ash and pumice.
Archaeologists discovered the remains in a building in the Regio IX area, central Pompeii. The woman was found lying on a bed with a small treasure of gold, silver, and bronze coins. She also had jewels, including gold and pearl earrings.
The small room where the couple was found served as a temporary bedroom. It was used while renovation work was ongoing in the house. The room was located behind the ted ‘blue room’ discovered earlier this year.
In the preface to the E-journal report, the work of archaeologists, anthropologists and volcanologists in understanding the human aspect of the devastating eruption is highlighted.
“The possibility of reconstructing, thanks to the collaboration between archaeologists, anthropologists and volcanologists, the last moments of life of men, women and children who perished during one of the greatest natural disasters of antiquity, gives those who excavate in Pompeii a special responsibility.
“Furthermore, the opportunity to recognise the victims and their choices of seeking shelter or attempting to escape, of taking certain objects with them and leaving others behind, brings out a common background of humanity. Sometimes, however, this sense of human community risks making us forget that for the ancients the catastrophe must have been even more monstrous and inconceivable than we can imagine today, since they did not know exactly what volcanoes were and what caused earthquakes.”
Ancient construction site uncovered in Pompeii
Blue Room
The ‘blue room,’ with depictions of female figures on cerulean-painted walls, was initially discovered during the Bourbon period (1813-1840). It was recently excavated.
Painted in a striking blue, this room is believed to be a sacrarium, a shrine dedicated to ritual activities and the storage of sacred objects.
Against the blue walls, female figures are depicted beside central niches. The lateral niches feature representations of the Horae, or the four seasons, while the central figures are allegories of agriculture and sheep-farming, symbolised by a plough and a pedum, a short staff used by shepherds and hunters.
Image: Pompeii Sites
The blue colour in this room is rare in Pompeian frescoes and was typically reserved for elaborately decorated spaces. This room had been partially explored during the Bourbon period. However, the current excavation has revealed objects related to the house’s furnishings, temporarily stored while renovation work was ongoing.
Fifteen transport amphorae were found in the room, alongside a set of bronze objects, including two jugs and two lamps. Piles of building materials, likely intended for the renovation, were also discovered, along with a heap of empty oyster shells. These shells were probably ground to add to plaster and mortar.
The excavations in Insula 10 of Regio IX are part of a larger project aimed at strengthening the perimeter between excavated and unexcavated areas. This effort is also focused on improving the hydrogeological structure to better safeguard Pompeii’s vast heritage. The site includes over 13,000 rooms in 1,070 residential units, as well as public and sacred spaces.
