12 Amazing Facts About the Preserved Pompeii Bodies 

Located in Italy is the ancient city of Pompeii. The once bustling and wealthy town featured magnificent buildings and architectural marvels. The population reached 11,000 people by 79 AD. Tragically the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in that same year destroyed the city, covering it in pumice rain, hot lava, and thick ash. The explosion changed the landscape, leaving a dense haze in the air. The eruption lasted two days, allowing some citizens to escape the city. However, not everyone managed to make it out alive, with many preserved Pompeii bodies found centuries later.

In 1738, workers rediscovered the lost Roman city destroyed by the Mt Vesuvius eruption. It wasn’t long before archeologists discovered the thick hot ash covering the city had preserved the bodies of the remaining residents in their final moments. The bodies had disappeared with the lost city beneath ash and hot lava after the eruption over 1,000 years ago.

Centuries later, these preserved bodies provide a fascinating insight into life in Pompeii. When visiting you can take a Pompeii tour at the nearby archaeological park where many of the plaster casts of bodies are found. Check out some interesting facts about these preserved bodies below.

12 Amazing Facts About the Preserved Pompeii Bodies 

1. Plaster Filled Bodies

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In 1860, archeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli began an excavation of the area to gain a better understanding of Pompeii and the catastrophic event. He soon found the soft ash created a cavity or outline of those trapped in the eruption’s path 30 feet below the surface. The outlines of the bodies contained bones and soft tissue.

Using plaster, archeologists filled in the cavities to recreate the people of Pompeii’s final moments. The plaster casts encased the bones and soft tissue, preserving the human shell of the century-old Pompeii victims so they could be studied today. 

2. Seeing Through the Plaster

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While the 19th-century plaster was vital in preserving the bodies, studying the skeletons was impossible. The good news is modern technology has made it possible to look through the plaster.

Archeologists use a 16-layer CT scanner to study the skeleton’s bones and soft tissue. The scanner uncovers fascinating details about the city of Pompeii, the people, and the tragic ending. Additionally, it gives archeologists a better understanding of life at that time. 

3. Body Positions 

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The bodies give a rare glimpse into the Pompeian’s final moments. The body positions also indicate the cause of death of the citizens. Archeologists found some victims in relaxed and casual positions, with many scientists theorizing that the scorching temperatures killed some of the residents before the lava overran the town.

There were many people found in the fetal position also, indicating prolonged suffocation due to the hot gasses and ash that engulfed Pompeii. Furthermore, the pumice rain caused several roofs to collapse, exposing the citizens to the toxic fumes in the air. 

4. The Bodies Indicate the Time of the Year

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As Mount Vesuvius erupted, Pliny the Younger watched the events unfold across the mountain from Misenum in the Bay of Naples. Pliny watched as his uncle, Pliny the Elder, died trying to rescue victims. 25 years later, Pliny wrote a first-hand account of that tragic day, providing much-needed insight.

Based on Pliny the Younger’s version of events, scientists first believed the eruption occurred in August 79 AD. However, the bodies and the clothing imply Mount Vesuvius erupted several months later in the fall. Many bodies had heavier clothes that would appear in the fall instead of lighter clothing in the summer. This has led to experts now believing the volcanic eruption occurred in late October or early November. 

5. Social Hierarchy in Pompeii

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The ancient Pompeii bodies that survived the eruption help experts understand the social hierarchy and status of the citizens. Archaeologists discovered a room under an agricultural site containing over 50 bodies. Interestingly, the bodies appeared to be arranged by social class. One set of bodies was a rich man who had an abundance of coins, jewelry, and gold, while the others had nothing.

Archeologists believe that people divided themselves by class while waiting out the eruption. In 2020, experts also found two bodies near the explosion. One body was an older man wearing a wool mantle and tunic, indicating wealth. The other man was younger with compressed vertebrae implying enslavement, showing the different social classes that were around during that time. 

6. Pompeii Diversity

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In the 1st century, Pompeii was the center of the trade industry. It was common for merchants from different Mediterranean countries, such as Greece and Gaul, to live and work in Pompeii. One of the most famous Pompeii bodies, Celt from Gaul, is known for its distinctive style and above-average height.

At first, some considered Celt to be an enslaved person. Further investigation via bone analysis revealed the Pompeii population was as diverse as New York City. As the center of the trade industry, a wide range of people traveled to Pompeii and lost their lives when the volcano erupted. 

7. Quick Death

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Archeologists and experts initially agreed the residents likely died slowly and painfully by suffocation. However, new theories have emerged over the years, with some experts now proposing a massive event killing the population instantly. Evidence suggests the first tide of debris, volcanic ash, and pumice rain set the stage for a pyroclastic surge.

The theory implies scorching hot tornadoes ran through the city, destroying everything in their path. The bodies found in the fetal position died from extreme cadaveric spasms, occurring when severe dehydration causes the body’s muscles to contract immediately. Once the ash hardened and the lava encased them, their bodies were quickly sealed from the elements. 

8. Inaccurate Victorian Era Theories 

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The discovery of the lost ancient Roman city during the Victorian period was a significant story. It captured the imagination of the public who wanted to know more about the town and its destruction. Many wild stories and theories ran rampant during that time, with modern technology helping debunk many of the proposed ideas.

The tale of the poor pregnant Pomepian mother covered in ash was hugely popular in the 1800s. CT scans of the area where she was said to be buried revealed no pregnant woman existed. Another famous story revolved around the “Two Maidens in Love.” According to the Victorian Era, the Two Maidens embraced as Mount Vesuvius erupted. Modern tech revealed it wasn’t two women but two men. The nature of their relationship remains a mystery.  

9. The Children and Disease

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When Christopher Columbus discovered the Bahamas in 1492, he brought back various diseases to Europe, spreading them throughout the continent. One thing the bodies of Pompeii prove that Columbus didn’t bring back was syphilis, with the disease existing centuries before Columbus even set sail. Archeologists discovered that most Pompian kids died from contagious illnesses and lack of medication, including syphilis.

Most kids only lived to be about ten years old. Furthermore, the enamel of their teeth indicates the leading cause of death among Pompeian children was syphilis.

10. The Average Height

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In the late 1700s and early 1800s, archeologists believed the people of Pompeii were shorter than the average person today. Based on extensive research and investigations, archeologists have begun to change their opinions over time.

Archaeologist Estelle Lazer measured the length of the bones and determined Pompeians were the same height as people now. Her research also revealed that Pompeians had a healthy diet and lifestyle.

11. Living To Old Age

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The Pompeii bodies helped archeologists better understand life during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. For decades, experts assumed most Romans lived a short life. However, the Pompeian bodies revealed the opposite. Most of the bodies at the time of the eruption were elderly and middle-aged. Since many had a healthy lifestyle, the citizens often lived into old age.

12. Healthy Lifestyle

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Nowadays, everyone worries about eating healthy and staying in shape. The Pompeii bodies reveal that citizens lived a very healthy lifestyle with a well-balanced Roman diet featuring fruits, fiber, and protein. Archeologists used CT scans in 2015 and discovered the Pompeians had perfect teeth.

Centuries before toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dentists, Pompians maintained their pearly whites thanks to their diet. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius took place before the invention of processed sugar, meaning the Pompiean people avoided unhealthy sugar products that would cause cavities and other issues.