Pompeii archaeologists find bodies of man and woman – and their treasure

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN

ROME (CNN) — The skeletal remains of a man and a female person been unearthed successful Pompeii, on pinch a cache of coins and precious jewelry, archaeologists say.

The find is portion of a excavation successful Region IX of nan buried metropolis that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms dressed up pinch elaborate drawings. Pompeii was location to astir 20,000 group erstwhile it was buried nether ash and volcanic solid during nan 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

The latest find adds much item to nan image of what life was for illustration successful nan metropolis earlier nan disaster. The bodies were recovered successful a mini chamber that was being utilized arsenic a impermanent sleeping abstraction while nan ample location was undergoing renovation, according to nan archaeologists who made nan discovery.

The female was recovered connected nan bed. Clutched successful her hands was a mini cache of gold, metallic and bronze coins, arsenic good arsenic golden and pearl earrings. “The room was chosen arsenic a refuge by nan 2 people, while waiting for nan extremity of nan autumn of pumice that had been gradually filling nan unfastened spaces for hours successful nan remainder of nan house,” nan archaeologists said successful a statement.

The mates had been trapped successful their bedroom. | Archeological Park of Pompeii via CNN Newsource

Because nan doorway was closed, nan room remained free of pumice, but nan mates were trapped inside. “Trapped successful nan cramped small room, their deaths were caused by nan pyroclastic travel that buried them,” nan archaeologists said.

The room, which contained a woody bed, stool, thorax and marble topped table, was adjacent nan Blue Shrine room, which was unearthed successful June, and adjacent to nan ample surviving area dressed up pinch frescoes. Archaeologists besides recovered bronze, solid and ceramic objects still successful spot connected nan table. A ample bronze candelabrum was recovered connected nan floor.

“The opportunity to analyse nan invaluable anthropological information relating to nan 2 victims recovered wrong nan archaeological discourse that marked their tragic end, allows america to retrieve a sizeable magnitude of accusation astir nan regular life of nan ancient Pompeiians and nan micro-histories of immoderate of them, pinch precise and timely documentation, confirming nan characteristic of nan Vesuvian territory,” nan park’s director, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, said.

The female was recovered holding coins and jewelry. | Archeological Park of Pompeii via CNN Newsource

He described nan excavations arsenic “a activity successful which archaeologists, anthropologists and volcanologists activity together to reconstruct nan past moments of nan lives of men, women and children who perished during 1 of nan top earthy catastrophes of antiquity.”

The existent excavations successful Region IX were initially started to forestall nan outer perimeter of nan tract from collapsing. They person provided immoderate of nan astir important discoveries ever made successful nan ancient city.