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Ancient Pompeii reveals 2 more victims of eruption, with coins, jewelry

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  • Ancient Pompeii reveals 2 more victims of eruption, with coins, jewelry
  • August 13, 2024
  • Article Body Text ROME — <p>Archaeologists in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii have discovered the remains of two more victims of the volcanic eruption almost 2,000 years ago.</p> <p>The skeleton of a man and a woman were found in a small, makeshift bedroom in a villa which was being restructured when the eruption struck, the Pompeii archeological site said in a statement Monday.</p> <p>The woman was lying on a bed with gold, silver and bronze coins around her, along with jewelry including gold and pearl earrings. The man lay at the foot of the bed.</p> <p>The once-thriving city of Pompeii, near Naples, and the surrounding countryside was submerged by volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius exploded in 79 AD.</p> <p>The eruption 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.</p> <p>The latest victims discovered had chosen the small room as a refuge, waiting for the end of the rain of rock fragments which had blocked the door and prevented them from escaping.</p> <p>They were eventually buried under the flow of lava and other boiling hot material from the volcano, the statement said.</p> <p>&quot;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,&quot; site director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said.</p> <p>Ancient Pompeii, rediscovered only in the 16th century, has in recent years seen a burst of archaeological activity aimed at halting decades of decay and neglect. </p>
  • Content Type Text
  • Language English
  • NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
  • Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
  • Network VOA
  • Embargo Date August 12, 2024 20:08 EDT
  • Byline Reuters
  • Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English
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