Rome (AFP)
A skeleton discovered in Herculaneum (Italy), a city buried under the lava during the eruption of Vesuvius in the year 79 at the same time as Pompeii, could shed new light on this disaster, declared Friday the head of the archaeological park of 'Herculaneum, Francesco Sirano.
The remains of a 40- to 45-year-old man were discovered under meters of volcanic rock where the shore of Herculaneum then stood, before the eruption of Vesuvius and lava flows pushed him back 500 meters away.
He probably saw death in the face the moment he was submerged by the molten lava that blanketed the city, Sirano told Italian news agency ANSA.
"He could have been a rescuer," suggested the specialist.
At the time of the eruption, a fleet, led by the commander and writer Pliny the Elder, came to the rescue of the inhabitants.
Pliny the Elder died on the shore, but his officers reportedly managed to evacuate hundreds of survivors.
The skeleton could also have been that of one "of the fugitives" who tried to reach one of the rescue boats, "possibly the last unlucky of a group that managed to get to sea," M Sirano.
He was discovered under the remains of charred wood, including the beam of a house that may have shattered his skull, while his bones were a red color, presumably traces of blood left when he was washed away by the violence of the rash.
Archaeologists have also discovered traces of fabric and metal objects, possibly the remains of personal items that the man allegedly took while fleeing, such as a bag, tools, or even weapons or coins, explained the archaeologist.
Other human remains have been discovered in and around Herculaneum, including a skull kept in a Roman museum that some have attributed to Pliny, but the latest find can be studied with modern techniques that allow "to understand more" , underlined Mr. Sirano.
According to the researchers, the temperature rose to 500 degrees during the eruption, enough to vaporize the soft tissues, then there was a sharp drop in temperature allowing what was left over.
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