I always wondered why 7,000 people evacuated and 3,000 stayed behind during the eruption. Thanks to our trusty tour guide, now I know! The people who stayed behind thought that they would be safe in their basements (for the most part). The doors to their homes were shut and most of the bodies found were in the basements. What they didn't realize was that sulfur fumes would seep in through the ventilation in their basements. The fumes killed the people and then ash poured in and preserved where their bodies were. The bodies decayed, but the bones remained. Archaeologists poured plaster into the cavities and ended up with what you see above (this is why you can see bone in some pictures).
I always wondered why 7,000 people evacuated and 3,000 stayed behind during the eruption. Thanks to our trusty tour guide, now I know! The people who stayed behind thought that they would be safe in their basements (for the most part). The doors to their homes were shut and most of the bodies found were in the basements. What they didn't realize was that sulfur fumes would seep in through the ventilation in their basements. The fumes killed the people and then ash poured in and preserved where their bodies were. The bodies decayed, but the bones remained. Archaeologists poured plaster into the cavities and ended up with what you see above (this is why you can see bone in some pictures).
1 comment:
whoa, for a quick explaination of how they excavated Pompeii, you helped my work heaps! TY :D
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