Article: Gli “scheletri” tornano nei fornici dell’antico porto

From ArcheoRivista:

Fino al 1980 si era creduto che a Ercolano gli abitanti fossero riusciti a salvarsi dalla furia dell’eruzione del Vesuvio probabilmente via mare. Questo si pensava perché in città si erano trovati fino ad allora i corpi di pochi individui. In realtà la storia era destinata a essere riscritta. Nella zona meridionale della città fu riportato alla luce un vasto tratto dell’antica spiaggia di sabbia vulcanica nel 79 d. C. protetta da una scogliera. Sulla spiaggia si aprivano dodici ambienti voltati con ingresso ad arcata che erano usati come magazzini o rimesse per le barche.

Ed è proprio all’interno di questi ambienti che gli archeologi fecero una delle scoperte più sensazionali dell’archeologia ercolanese: i corpi di 300 individui che durante l’eruzione si erano rifugiati sotto i fornici in attesa che il mare si calmasse prima di cercare di scappare con le barche. La loro speranza fu però vana perché il mare prima si ritirava, poi, improvvisamente, arrivava sulla spiaggia con onde enormi. [...]

Oggi gli scheletri senza nome di Ercolano sono tornati dove hanno vissuto le loro ultime ore di vita. I fornici della marina li hanno nuovamente accolti e presto, forse durante la XIV Settimana della Cultura dal 14 al 22 aprile 2012, saranno visibili. Per adesso sono ancora nascosti dietro degli scuri teloni. In realtà i visitatori dell’area archeologica, percorrendo una passerella, potranno vedere degli scheletri i calchi realizzati in laboratorio copiando le ossa originali e rimpiazzando le parti mancanti.

More here.

Reviews: AJA 116.1 (January 2012)

Two reviews of interest in the latest American Journal of Archaeology 116.1 (January 2012):

Resurrecting Pompeii, by Estelle Lazer. Reviewed by Marshall Joseph Becker.

Pompeii’s Living Statues: Ancient Roman Lives Stolen from Death, by Eugene Dwyer. Reviewed by John R. Clarke,

Pompeii skeletons reveal secrets of Roman family life

Just discovered this BBC story and video featuring Mary Beard. For those who missed the December 14th BBC broadcast. http://ht.ly/3pkjw

Article: Pompeii skeletons reveal secrets of Roman family life

On the BBC website today, an article by Mary Beard:

Pompeii skeletons reveal secrets of Roman family life

The remains of the Roman town of Pompeii destroyed by a volcanic eruption in AD79 continue to provide intriguing and unexpected insights into Roman life - from diet and health care to the gap between rich and poor.

The basement storeroom under a large agricultural depot in the little suburb of Oplontis was full of pomegranates. To many of the Pompeians trying to find shelter from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, it must have seemed strong and safe.

About 50 people took cover there. We know they did because archaeologists in the 1980s found their skeletons, well preserved.

They were overwhelmed by the volcanic debris and burning gases in the very place where they hoped they would be saved.

We know how these poor people died and we know what killed them. But these skeletons can also tell us fascinating things about how the people in Pompeii actually lived.

There are some very simple surprises.

Read more here.

 

Red-faced academic over Pompeii donkey

From Cambridge-News.co.uk:

An academic at Cambridge University has been left long-faced after discovering a mystery breed of Roman horse found at Pompeii was none other than a donkey.

Experts initially believed that they had unearthed a new, now-extinct breed of horse when they analysed DNA sequences from skeletons found at a house in the ancient Roman town in 2004.

But the idea fell at the first hurdle when scrutinised by Cambridge’s Susan Gurney, who is working with Peter Forster on horse genetics.

She realised there had been a mix-up in the lab, which resulted in horse DNA being combined with that of a donkey to create an artificial hybrid.

Mrs Gurney, from the university’s Institute of Continuing Education, said: “Looking at the research with hindsight, it’s possible to recognise two separate strands of horse and donkey DNA.

“In addition, the horse DNA that appears to have been inadvertently mixed in with the donkey’s genetic information is the same type as that found in another Herculaneum horse, which might be the source of the mistake.”

The original study six years ago analysed the skeletons of equids – animals in the horse family – that belonged to a rich Roman household in Pompeii.

All five were well preserved by the volcanic ash which covered the town and the nearby settlement of Herculaneum when Vesuvius erupted in AD79.

Mrs Gurney found that the first 177 nucleotides – molecules which form the structural units of a DNA sequence – match existing patterns for donkeys. The remaining 193 nucleotides match those of an existing breed of horse.

However, the research could still prove important. The Cambridge experts believe the newly-identified donkey may well be the first proof that the “Somali” ass lineage normally found in Italy dates back to at least Roman times.

In other European countries, donkeys are often descended from the Nubian lineage instead.

Anyone know which house these donkeys were found in?