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When Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the avalanche of volcanic ash that hit Pompeii and Herculaneum caused the spraying of blood and the explosion of their skulls, revealed a new analysis of their skeletons.
When the town of Herculaneum was hit, 300 people took refuge in 12 waterfront rooms located along the beach. In a study published in PLOS One, scientists led by Pierpaolo Petrone, from Federico II University Hospital in Naples, Italy, examined the skeletons found in these chambers to find out what had happened to them at the time of their deaths .
The eruption in Vesuvius was huge. It is estimated that he poured ash, rock and volcanic gas into the air up to 21 miles and sent lava down the mountain towards the agglomerations below, with temperatures The level of preservation at both sites is unprecedented – the victims were essentially frozen in time, killed instantly and then buried under volcanic materials for more than 1,600 years.
During the latest research, the team examined the mineral deposits embedded in the bones. They watched as the ash filled their skulls and enveloped the skeletons. From there, they performed laboratory analyzes and placed their results in the context of the archaeological site – rooms at the water's edge that would have looked like an oven because of the extreme temperatures produced by the volcano.
Petrone and his colleagues discovered very unusual red and black mineral residues covering the skeletons. This was also found inside their skulls.
Further analysis led them to conclude that the body fluids of the victims had been vaporized. Their blood would have boiled and their skulls would have exploded. "An extraordinary discovery concerns skulls filled with ashes, which indicates that after the evaporation of body fluids, the brain has been replaced by ashes," they wrote. "The presence of such an ash jet in all victims, even those with minor thermal effects, proves that the thrust was sufficiently hot and fluid to penetrate the intracranial cavity soon after the disappearance of soft tissues and fluids. organic. "
In conclusion, the researchers say that it is the first experimental evidence showing a rapid vaporization of body fluids and soft tissues.
The results, they say, "strongly suggest a widespread pattern of heat-induced hemorrhage, increase and burst of intracranial pressure, likely to be the cause of death Instant inhabitants of Herculaneum ".
The researchers say the results are important in terms of the risk posed by the volcano today. Nearly three million people live near Vesuvius – the center of Naples is just over 13 km from the summit – and the volcano is still active. It will, at some point, produce another big eruption.
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