How did the inhabitant of Pompeii die believing that a giant stone had fallen on his head?

The tragic form of his "death" traveled the world several centuries later.

Since last May, the images of a Pompeian inhabitant with a gigantic stone "embedded in his head" have become a new symbol of tragedy by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD

& c. Was a rock weighing more than 300 kilograms and, according to the archaeologists initially, he had hit the torso of the man with enormous force and had probably cut off his body

In fact, they did not bother. could not even find the skull.

• The "spectacular" discovery of the skeleton of an inhabitant of Pompeii victim of the eruption of Vesuvius

The scientists believed that the victim, who was estimated to be 30 years old, he was trying to escape the violent explosion that occurred about 8 kilometers away, but perhaps he had a disability and, for that reason, he had not managed to escape.

Studies have ruined this theory.

Now, experts believe that the death of the man, whom they called "the fugitive", was not due to the impact of the stone block, as supposed initially, but to asphyxiation caused by pyroclastic flows an inflamed mixture of toxic gases, lava and particles of Vesuvius, according to the site of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.

Stone, then, struck it when it was already dead

But how did they arrive at this new hypothesis?

A Stone on the Way

Fieldwork in the days following the discovery finally revealed the upper body that scientists could not find.

To his surprise, he was curiously situated below the lower extremities.

"The identified skeletal remains consist of the upper chest, upper limbs, skull and jaw," says the archaeological site release.

• The "little Pompeii" which is revealed near Lyon, in the south of France

According to experts, a tunnel discovered under the body, dating from the time of the Bourbons (between 1700 and 1800, or nearly 17 centuries later) gave way and caused the detachment of the upper part of the skeleton was.

So they came to the conclusion that in fact, he was not dead because of the mbadive impact of the stone.

However, now, having found the key to death, another mystery intrigues the

The Mystery Bag

And in addition to the skeleton, archaeologists have found the remains of a small bag that the man "pressed against his chest".

After conducting a preliminary examination, they discovered that it contained 20 silver coins and two bronze coins

The money is currently undergoing further studies but they estimate that this amount would have sufficed to support a family of three. Therefore, the social position of the man and his identity or role in the community of Pompeii are one of the keys that could suggest the pieces.

"Pieces are studied by numismatists to determine its cut and its value, while the decomposed remains of the small container similar to a purifier will be badyzed in the laboratory in order to identify the material", indicates the site archaeological.