At a Glance
- Researchers discovered that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE was likely compounded by earthquakes, worsening Pompeii’s devastation.
- The study tackles the challenge of distinguishing between damage caused by volcanic activity and that caused by earthquakes, which often occur together.
- While excavating the “Casa dei Pittori al Lavoro” in Pompeii, the team found skeletons with injuries from collapsing walls, suggesting earthquakes played a significant role in the city’s destruction.
- The skeletons showed fractures and trauma from falling debris, indicating they survived the initial volcanic phase but were later killed by earthquakes.
- This research highlights that Pompeii’s inhabitants faced a catastrophic sequence of volcanic ash falls followed by strong earthquakes, emphasizing the importance of considering both volcanic and seismic effects in historical disaster studies.
Researchers from the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and Pompeii Archaeological Park have recently made a groundbreaking discovery about the ancient eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Their study, published in Frontiers in Earth Sciences, reveals that the eruption’s destructive effects may have been compounded by earthquakes. This finding sheds new light on the events that led to Pompeii’s devastation.
The study is notable because it addresses the challenge of separating volcanic activity’s impact from that of earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes can co-occur quickly, making determining which caused specific damage problematic. Researchers discovered that during the eruption, seismic activity likely played a significant role in the destruction of Pompeii and may have influenced the decisions of its inhabitants.
During their excavation of the “Casa dei Pittori al Lavoro” in Pompeii, the team found two skeletons with severe injuries, suggesting they were victims of collapsing walls. These findings and the discovery of unusual building damage patterns led researchers to conclude that earthquakes significantly contributed to the city’s destruction. The skeletons showed fractures and trauma consistent with being crushed by falling debris, indicating they survived the initial volcanic phase but were overwhelmed by subsequent earthquakes.
The new insights reveal that Pompeii’s inhabitants faced a catastrophic sequence of events, including a heavy fall of volcanic ash followed by strong earthquakes. This research emphasizes the need to consider volcanic and seismic effects when studying historical disasters. Future investigations, including those using modern telescopes, will further explore these findings to understand better how seismic activity affected the city’s destruction.
References
- Sparice, D., Amoretti, V., Galadini, F., Di Vito, M. A., Terracciano, A., Scarpati, G., & Zuchtriegel, G. (2024). A novel view of the destruction of Pompeii during the 79 CE eruption of Vesuvius (Italy): Syn-eruptive earthquakes as an additional cause of building collapse and deaths. Frontiers in Earth Science, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2024.1386960
- Frontiers. (2024, July 18). Pompeii skeleton discovery shows another natural disaster may have made Vesuvius eruption even more deadly. Phys.Org; Frontiers. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-pompeii-skeleton-discovery-natural-disaster.html
