A new exhibition shows the final moments of Pompeii's residents after the deadly eruption of Mount Vesuvius, leaving their images frozen in stone for centuries.
The eruption of 79 AD is considered one of the most destructive volcanic events in history, claiming the lives of up to 16,000 people.
Archaeologists have created plaster statues by pouring the material into the spaces left behind by bodies as fiery streams destroyed the Roman city. These forms capture in detail the final poses of the inhabitants, showing them hunched over, writhing in pain and terror.
One statue shows two people standing close together, while another appears to be a man clenching his fists in despair, while a small child rests on his knees. Next to the child, a teenager appears with a cloak wrapped around his body, while a woman lies on the side. She was found near a city gate in 1976, with gold and silver rings, coins and a statue of the goddess Isis, which she was trying to take with her.
Another statue shows a man sitting with his knees drawn under his chin and his hands over his face, covering his mouth with his cloak.
But perhaps most poignant is the form of a three-year-old child in a tunic, found in the House of the Golden Bracelet, with lips swollen from the extreme heat.
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of Pompeii, said during the opening of the exhibition:
"We want to tell the story of a tragedy that destroyed a city, the greatest natural disaster of antiquity, but which also left us an archaeological and historical treasure."
Archaeologist Silvia Bertesago added:
"For the first time, we are scientifically recounting what happened during those hours."
In front of the exhibition, a sign warns visitors: “Walk respectfully and quietly.”
Each statue has a full description of the location, time, and condition of the body. Most of the victims died from suffocation under huge clouds of volcanic ash and fiery gases.
The city remained hidden for nearly 1,700 years, until it was rediscovered by Spanish military engineers in the mid-18th century.
Today, the ruins of Pompeii are a popular tourist attraction, attracting four million visitors each year. /GazetaExpress/
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