This Pompeii victim was likely a doctor trying to help survivors
Recent findings in Pompeii suggest that a victim of the volcanic eruption was likely an ancient Roman doctor. Archaeologists discovered a bag of medical tools and a slate tablet among the remains, indicating the man was attempting to help others during the disaster. This discovery adds a personal narrative to the otherwise anonymous casualties of the eruption.
- ▪The Garden of Fugitives in Pompeii became a gravesite for victims of the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
- ▪Recent imaging techniques revealed that one victim carried a bag of medical tools, suggesting he was a doctor.
- ▪The findings include a cloth bag with coins and a container with a slate tablet used by Roman medical professionals.
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Plaster casts can fill hollows in the ground left behind by bodies buried during a volcanic eruption. Credit: Pompeii Archaeological Park Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Email address Sign up Thank you! Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The Garden of Fugitives is one of Pompeii’s most haunting sites. Discovered during archaeological excavations in 1961, the former vineyard quickly became a gravesite for over a dozen people who perished amid the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and its choking, burning hot pyroclastic cloud that enveloped the city in 79 CE.
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