14 Bizarre Things Most People Don't Know About The Bodies Preserved At Pompeii

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In 79 CE, volcanic Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii, Italy. Hidden from the world beneath pumice and ash, it was all but forgotten for nearly 1,500 years. That all changed in 1738 when the site was discovered, preserved beneath the dust and debris. In 1863, Italian archeologist Guiseppe Fiorelli took charge of the site and began proper excavation of it. Fiorelli recognized that the soft ashes on the site were actually cavities left from the dead, and he is responsible for filling them with high-grade plaster. Thus, the preserved bodies of Pompeii were born. Nearly 150 years later, strange facts about the bodies are coming to light thanks to CT scans and modern science. Among the many things most folks don't know about Pompeii is likely the fact that the bodies themselves, more than almost any other existing artifacts, provide archeologists with vital information about what life was like in the ancient city.

The Plaster Bodies Are Full Of Bones



To create the preserved bodies at Pompeii, Guiseppe Fiorelli and his team poured plaster of Paris into soft cavities in the ash, which were around 30 feet beneath the surface. These cavities were actually the outlines of the decomposed bodies, and they retained their forms despite the soft tissue decomposing over time. When the plaster was poured into the ash, it filled in the spaces formerly occupied by the soft tissue.

A common misconception is that the plaster bodies are empty. However, the cavities left by the bodies were not shells in the ash waiting for the plaster. In fact, they were soft spots that still held the bones of the cadavers. When the plaster filled the soft ash, the bones were enclosed. The bodies of Pompeii are even more lifelike than they appear.


The Pompeians Had Excellent Home Dental Care



In 2015, archeologists began using CT scans to analyze the bodies at Pompeii. One of the most remarkable finds in the CT scans is that the Pompeians had amazing teeth. Pompeii was buried thousands of years before the advent of anything that even closely resembles modern dentistry. Yet, not a single cavity has been discovered in the bodies. At first glance, this is shocking, but it actually makes quite a bit of sense. Mount Vesuvius erupted before processed sugar was invented. The Roman diet was high in fiber, protein, and fruits, and it was extremely low in sugar. This diet, combined with the high levels of flourine in the local air and water, made for mouths free of cavities.


Children Had Syphilis



In 1st century Pompeii, surviving until the age of 10 would have been a feat; childhood was incredibly deadly due to infectious diseases and a lack of appropriate treatments. Because disease leaves its marks on bones, archeologists have insight into some of the most lethal and common causes of mortality among the children of Pompeii. And syphilis ranks among these causes of early death. There are tell-tale signs on the bones of a pair of young male twins that point to congenital syphilis. This means syphilis was introduced to Europe at least 400 years before Columbus's fateful voyage – the thing to which syphilis in Europe had previously been attributed.


The Casual Positions Of The Bodies Indicate How People Might've Died



Some of the Pompeii bodies were found in the fetal position. The same position is a common consequence of suffocation deaths, so, as a result, it was initially assumed that they died suffocating from the hot gasses that roared through the city. Scientists also know that raining pumice caused roof collapses that killed some who opted to remain indoors. However, many other bodies were also discovered in relatively casual positions – appearing as if no death preparations had been made by the victims at all. This casualness has led some scientists to reason that the unbelievably high temperatures of the eruption instantaneously killed the Pompeians, as opposed to prolonged suffocation by the ash.


The Victims Were Not Sick And Elderly



For hundreds of years, it has been assumed that the young and healthy residents managed to escape the volcano. The sick and elderly were unable to evacuate and were left to perish once Vesuvius erupted. Archeologists now know that an entire cross section of the population perished, not just the unwell and aged. In reality, everyone had ample time to escape. Mount Vesuvius had slowly been building up steam and giving signals of an imminent eruption. Unfortunately, it was also the festival of Volcanalia – the god of volcanoes. The Pompeians took the smoking and spurting mountain as a good omen, instead of a warning. They celebrated instead of evacuating.


On Average, The Bodies Are Taller Than The Current Population Of Naples



When most people think of the preserved bodies at Pompeii, they commonly imagine tiny, little forms that are much shorter than contemporary people. However, this is a total misconception. In reality, the bodies are actually taller, on average, than the contemporary population of Naples. Pompeians had excellent diets and overall healthy lifestyles.


The Bodies Prove That Plenty Of People Lived Into Old Age



The bodies at Pompeii have been almost unparalleled in their usefulness to archeologists who are trying to not only understand Roman life in the 1st century but also to debunk myths about what that life and culture would have been like. One common misconception about the citizens of Pompeii that the bodies help correct is the idea that few – if any – people would have survived into old age. Today, there exists a common belief that lifespans would have been so short that there couldn't have been a sizable aged population. Among the bodies, which provide a uniquely balanced cross section of the population, there are several middle-aged and elderly figures. This allows archeologists to assert that, while childhood was certainly a dangerous time in the city, many survived and thrived well into adulthood.


They Indicate The Strength And Importance Of Roman Family Networks



While, on the one hand, the bodies at Pompeii demonstrate the high mortality rate of children under 10 and the widespread issue of congenital disease, they also testify to the strength of Pompeian family units. How? According to Fabian Kanz, an anthropologist who examined the bones, the fact that many Pompeians survived, despite the marks of childhood diseases in their teeth enamel and bones, shows that their parents and extended families would have had to provide a great deal of care for them in their infancies and youths. As such, they show that Pompeians were willing to invest the time and care necessary to help their children live, even when those children would have required time that could have been used productively in other tasks necessary for survival. The same can't be said of all early societies.


The Bodies Provide A Map Of The Social Hierarchy Of Pompeii



One of the most useful collections of Pompeian bodies for archeologists and anthropologists is a group of 54 skeletons that were discovered in the basement storeroom of an agricultural depot – where they had all ended up in search of protection from the ash. Although the bodies hunkered down together in the space, they also arranged themselves along clearly divided lines. In one half of the room, archeologists discovered bodies loaded down with material wealth, including gold and jewels. In the other half of the room, the bodies possessed nothing. And, although they can't be certain about what this means, archeologists think there are three possible explanations for the arrangement: 1) some people ran with their possessions, and some did not; 2) the group loaded with possessions were criminal outcasts who stole things on their way into hiding; 3) the people arranged themselves according to their social status.


A Special Type Of CT Scan Had To Be Used In Order To See Through The Plaster



Unfortunately for archeologists, although the 19th-century plaster casts helped preserved the bodies, they also made it really difficult to access and study the skeletons inside them. In order to image the bodies with a CT scan, the archeological team used a 16-layer CT scan machine, which was designed for people with implants and prosthetics. In order to interpret the images produced by the complex scanner, orthodontists, radiologists, computer engineers, and archeologists have worked closely together on the project.


The Pyroclastic Surge Death Wave Can Be Identified In The Bodies' Bones



Whipping heat tornadoes washed over the city after the initial wave of falling pumice and debris, and they instantly killed everyone in their path. This natural phenomenon is called a pyroclastic surge. This is where the fetal positions come into play. Instead of being indicative of a slow and drawn out death, the fetal positions resulted from the body muscles instantly contracting on themselves because of extreme dehydration. They are not in fetal positions. They are in what is called an extreme cadaveric spasm. And, in addition to their postures, crack patterns in the bodies' skeletons serve as a testament to the high-heat theory of their demise.


Analysis Of The Bodies' Clothing Suggests We May Be Wrong About Vesuvius's Eruption Date



Based on Pliny the Younger's account of the event, it has always been a given that Mount Vesuvius erupted in August of 79 CE. However, there is alternative evidence that throws this assumption for a loop. After careful clothing analysis, archeologists now posit that the volcano actually might have erupted in late fall of that year. This has often been hypothesized, but it now appears much more likely to have been the case. Many of the fiber remains are indicative of heavier autumn clothing instead of summer wear.


Contemporary CT Scans Are Correcting Victorian Assumptions About The Bodies



The Victorians loved a good story, and the more dramatic, the better. And, when it came to the bodies at Pompeii, they applied their love of a good yarn to naming and identifying the figures. Modern CT scans, however, are debunking some of the most dearly held of these totally unfounded tales of the bodies. For example, that dear, poor pregnant lady that was consumed in hot ash? CT scans reveal she was not pregnant, and she probably wasn't a she at all. The embracing lovers that have been come to be known as the "Two Maidens"? They were both men, and the true nature of their relationship is a mystery for the ages. The massive Celtic slave from Gaul? He wasn't a slave. Of course, the Victorian identities and stories for the figures are compelling and drive interest in Pompeii, but they were far from accurate.


The Bodies Reveal That Pompeii Was As Diverse As Modern Day Queens, NY



There's a body at Pompeii that has become known as the Celt from Gaul because of its unusually tall height and unique manner of dress, both of which suggest it came from somewhere north of Pompeii. For a long time, it has been assumed that the body is that of a slave, which would make sense. After all, the Romans were known for enslaving their enemies. However, that logic really doesn't apply here.

In the 1st century, Pompeii was an important trade city. Merchants from across the Mediterranean lived and worked there. There was also a thriving Libretti community. Libretti were former slaves that had earned their freedom. Through bone analysis, it has become clear that the genetic makeup of Pompeii rivaled modern New York and London with people from Greece, Gaul, and other surrounding Mediterranean countries making up its cosmopolitan population.