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Cause of death at Pompeii


guy

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There have been previous discussions about the possible way victims of Pompeii died (see thread below). There are several possible mechanisms: asphyxiation (lack of oxygen), pyroclastic flows (a fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter), falling or collapsing buildings, and even a tsunami.

Another mechanism has been suggested about the cause of death: an earthquake. Two male victims aged at least 55 were found in the Casti Amanti at Pompeii beneath a wall that had collapsed before the area was covered in volcanic material. One of the victims appeared to be shielding his face from the falling wall.

https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2023/5/17/pompeii-excavations-reveal-two-new-skeletons



Pompeii had experienced earthquakes before the fateful volcanic eruption in AD 77. Increasingly, the relationship between earthquakes and volcanic activity has become appreciated. Both involve disturbances of the tectonic plates. 
 

There is now a possibility that a destructive earthquake occurred simultaneously with the volcanic eruption, causing at least two fatalities that day.

 

https://australian.museum/learn/minerals/shaping-earth/how-are-volcanoes-and-earthquakes-interrelated/


 

 

 

 

Edited by guy
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