Crippled Pompeii Man Suffocated

With his skull in hand, experts believe that the man died from being suffocated by the volcanic ash that rained down on Pompeii, rather than being squashed by the rock. Archaeologists discovered a “treasure trove” of silver and bronze coins that he had been carrying in a leather pouch. It contained 22 coins, worth 80 sestertii, enough to sustain a family for two weeks.

The skeleton was found in an area of new excavations, close to a newly-discovered alleyway of houses with balconies.

Excavations of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii have revealed the skeleton of a man who may have been decapitated by a large stone block as he fled from the catastrophic 79 C.E. eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Possibly hampered by a bone infection, archaeologists think he fled through an alleyway after surviving the first ejections of ash and debris that rained down on the city. He eventually met his demise when struck by a tumbling block. His body was found at roughly the same height as the second floor of a nearby building, suggesting he ventured outside after the first phase of raining ash had settled. Lesions at the tibia suggest he was suffering from a bone infection. This could have hindered his movements and stopped him leaving Pompeii when the volcano first erupted.

The man was found in an alleyway above a thick layer of lapilli—debris thrown from the erupting Vesuvius. Archaeologists are currently excavating areas of the city which have not yet been fully explored. This is the latest archaeological discovery in Pompeii, after excavations recently yielded the body of a child and a horse.

See -----> Remains of ancient horse discovered at Pompeii
See ----->The Curse of Pompeii
See ----->Skeletons And Ancient Gold Coins Found at Pompeii Excavation