Posted on 11/28/2002 7:18:27 AM PST by vannrox
Wednesday, November 27, 2002 at 09:30 JST
ROME A team of Japanese archaeologists on Tuesday found the remains of two chained human bodies, apparently slaves, at the Pompei ruins in southern Italy.
The well-preserved skeletons were found outside a castle wall in the northern edge of the ruins, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
One set of skeletons has chains still attached to a leg, and the other has a metal buckle around the waist. The researchers believe the buckle is part of a belt, possibly worn by a woman slave.
The two were apparently killed while trying to escape from the lava of Mt Vesuvius, which erupted in 79 A.D. and buried the region.
Pompei was a thriving city and home to 200,000 people before Mt. Vesuvius blew its top.
The ruins of Pompei covers an area of 640,000 square meters. Excavation began in the mid- 18th century, and one third of the area still remains untouched.
The Japanese team has been participating in the excavation of Pompei ruins since 1994. (Kyodo News)
If I didn't know any better, you would think slavery was an American born evil, still condoned by right wing conservatives today.
< / sarcasm >
Check the court records. I bet they received a long sentance and are just now ready for parole.
What a drag.
POMPEI HAD GESTAPO?
Pookie & ME
Women and minorities hardest hit.
Interesting.
Could you elaborate a bit?
E.g., the right to be torn apart and eaten by wild beasts for spectator sport.
Gladiator battles to the death, unarmed men, women, and children being pitted against prides of hungry lions, crucifixions of unbearable agony for three days or more.
Gotta love that civilized Roman treatment of slaves and other non-Roman citizens. Barbarism was the last thing they would have wanted to be accused of.
"Secondly, rural slaves were forced to do work that was both physically and emotionally straining. Field hands were given a life expectancy of about ten years due to the physical exhaustion they encountered on a daily basis. Among the jobs they were expected to perform were as ploughmen, hunters, ditchers and forester. Slaves were expected to work all day on very little food and water, and were whipped or beaten when they did not."
Sound pretty cushy compared to American slavery alright.
You know, you really sound silly defending Roman slavery just so you can feel morally superior in your judgment about slavery in the US.
The bottom line is, slavery sucks. You don't need to "romanticize" the Roman practice of it.
And I can't help but comment that "Dutch Comfort" strikes me as being more than slightly oxymoronic. I've known some Dutchmen in my time, and a grittier, more sardonic race of people doesn't exist--at least not to my knowledge.
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