Pompeii archaeologists uncover 'sorcerer's treasure trove'

BBC.com ^ | 8/12/19 | BBC

[NormsRevenge]

Archaeologists working in the buried Roman city of Pompeii say they have uncovered a "sorcerer's treasure trove" of artefacts, including good-luck charms, mirrors and glass beads.

A room with the bodies of 10 victims, including women and children, was excavated in the same house.

Pompeii was engulfed by a volcanic eruption from Mt Vesuvius in AD 79.

The fatal eruption froze the city and its residents in time, making it a rich source for archaeologists.

The trove was found in what remained of a wooden box. The wood itself had decomposed and only the bronze hinges remained, preserved by the volcanic material which hardened over it.

In it were crystals, ceramic, amethysts and amber. Scarabs (beetle-shaped amulets) from the Middle East were identified, along with various gems, including a carnelian with a craftsman figure and a glass bead engraved with the head of Dionysus, the Roman god of wine, fertility and ritual madness.

It was more likely the objects belonged to a servant or a slave, rather than the owner of the house, Mr Osanna told the Italian news agency Ansa. None of the artefacts was made of gold, much favoured by the wealthy of Pompeii.

[SunkenCiv]

Anyone who fled early enough got out, but you're right, the only eyewitness account that has survived is by Pliny the Younger (who documented the death of Pliny the Elder, but used secondhand source or sources, that is, someone present during the Elder's last evening on Earth, then lived to tell the tale).

In one of the gymnasiums (probably in Herculaneum) a stack of balls was in place and ready for some athletes to play some popular game of Roman times, but no one was found in the gym itself, which suggests they ran for it.

I'm a little skeptical about the modern idea that no one knew the mountain was a volcano, since volcanoes are pretty common in Italy and on various nearby islands, and were at that time as well.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks NormsRevenge! What a haul! The Temple of Isis in Pompeii was abandoned, and the employees of the temple tried to flee apparently, carrying the temple treasury items -- but they are among the plaster of Paris images cast from the voids in the strata, and still carrying the treasures.

[Veto!]

I’ve been to Pompeii, spent a day wandering around. Vesuvius still belches smoke and sometimes rattles nearby windows.

Such a scene of devastation. I didn’t love it there, found it a very sad place with bad air. Most tourists love it.

Stuff in the photos looks pretty good. Bright colors certainly contrast with the dull brown of the entire city.

[BobL]

“I’m a little skeptical about the modern idea that no one knew the mountain was a volcano, since volcanoes are pretty common in Italy and on various nearby islands, and were at that time as well.”

Talk about BS, I’m with you - they knew it was an active volcano. The people back then clearly were not idiots (other than not keeping their borders sealed).

Much more likely that they got tired of running for their lives every time it rumbled. And so they were caught flat-footed. Perfectly understandable in that time.

[wally_bert]

Austin Powers is still a very good movie.

[Calvin Locke]

During WWII, Vesuvius did a number on a bunch of B-25s one day.

[SunkenCiv]

They know it’s there now, and it remains a populous area — and obviously, everyone in the Empire after 79 AD knew what it was. :^) Here’s a Pompeiian fresco, shows the pre-eruption mountain, Bacchus as a anthropomorphic bunch of grapes, and snake! snake! snake!

https://www.ancient.eu/uploads/images/9694.jpg?v=1544430624

[SunkenCiv]

> ...the site was heavily bombarded by the Allies in World War II (in what really was enemy action, with more than 160 bombs dropped on the place). Parts of what we now see are a rebuild of a rebuild.

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20407286

[SunkenCiv]

from the wiki-wacky:

> Soon after the burial of the city, some survivors or thieves came to salvage valuables, including marble statues from buildings. They left traces of their passage, as in a house where modern archaeologists found a wall graffitus saying “House dug”. During the following centuries, its name and location were forgotten. The earliest any part was unearthed was in 1592, when the digging of an underground channel to divert the river Sarno ran into ancient walls covered with paintings and inscriptions. The architect Domenico Fontana was called in; he unearthed a few more frescoes, then covered them over again, and nothing more came of the discovery. A wall inscription had mentioned a decurio Pompeii (”the town councillor of Pompeii”) but its reference to the long-forgotten Roman city was missed. Fontana’s covering over the paintings has been seen both as a broad-minded act of preservation for later times, and as censorship of the hedonistic sexual wall images, which he would have known would scandalize counter-reformation Italy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii

[SunkenCiv]

Well, you could try burying your 10 year old car for nineteen centuries, and see how it held up. ;^)

[SunkenCiv]

the search results for "pompeii" got back to only 2015. The keyword must have many more.

• Pompeii 'fast food' bar unearthed in ancient city after 2,000 years
• Mount Vesuvius Didn't Kill Everyone in Pompeii. Where Did the Survivors Go?
• Stunningly preserved fresco of Narcissus discovered in Pompeii
• 'Erotic' fresco of Leda and the Swan unearthed at Pompeii
• Mary Beard: It doesn't really matter if tourists damage Pompeii
• 5 skeletons found at Pompeii [too late to dial IX-I-I]
• Pompeii: Vesuvius eruption may have been later than thought
• The remains of a victim of the Lithuanian invasion of 1354 discovered in the "Pompeii of Warmia"
• Dramatic volcano death: Huge flying stone crushed man in Pompeii, archaeologists discover
• 'Alley of balconies' uncovered at Pompeii in rare find
• Pompeii: New find shows man crushed trying to flee eruption
• Ancient Remains of Horse Discovered at Pompeii
• Extraordinary Pompeii discovery: Racehorse remains found among ancient city's ruins
• New Pompeii excavations a revelation 270 years after discovery of first ruins
• Archaeologists Virtually Recreate House of Caecilius Iucundus in Pompeii
• Today is the anniversary of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii in A.D. 79.
• Skeletons and Gold Coins Found in Pompeii Shop
• How Pompeii brought ancient Roman wine back to life
• Watch the Destruction of Pompeii by Mount Vesuvius, Re-Created with Computer Animation (79 AD)
• 'A bronze age Pompeii': archaeologists hail discovery of Peterborough site
• Scans show Pompeii victims 'in good health' [other than being dead]
• Archaeologists discover a Pre-Roman era tomb in perfect condition at Pompeii
• [from January 3, 2014] Giraffe Was on Menu in Pompeii Restaurants
• Gold coin may be key to solve Sweden's 'Pompeii'
• The Fall and Rise and Fall of Pompeii
• ...Bizarre new pyramid ... opens in Pompeii to house volcano exhibition
• Pictured: The 2,000-year-old gladiator's helmet discovered in Pompeii's ruins

[BobL]

LOL - Obviously I’m blown away by finding this stuff...from 100 generations ago, especially considering that 99.99% of man’s recorded history has happened since!

[BobL]

Absolutely beautiful. Amazing!

[SunkenCiv]

the keyword, sorted chrono, with the oldest topic removed.

• Pompeii archaeologists uncover 'sorcerer's treasure trove' [2019]
• Pompeii 'fast food' bar unearthed in ancient city after 2,000 years [2019]
• Mount Vesuvius Didn't Kill Everyone in Pompeii. Where Did the Survivors Go? [2019]
• Stunningly preserved fresco of Narcissus discovered in Pompeii [2019]
• 'Erotic' fresco of Leda and the Swan unearthed at Pompeii [2018]
• Mary Beard: It doesn't really matter if tourists damage Pompeii [2018]
• 5 skeletons found at Pompeii [too late to dial IX-I-I] [2018]
• Pompeii: Vesuvius eruption may have been later than thought [2018]
• A tour of parts of the ancient Roman City of Herculaneum [2018]
• Dramatic volcano death: Huge flying stone crushed man in Pompeii, archaeologists discover [2018]
• 'Alley of balconies' uncovered at Pompeii in rare find [2018]
• Pompeii: New find shows man crushed trying to flee eruption [2018]
• Ancient Remains of Horse Discovered at Pompeii [2018]
• Extraordinary Pompeii discovery: Racehorse remains found among ancient city's ruins [2018]
• New Pompeii excavations a revelation 270 years after discovery of first ruins [2018]
• Archaeologists Virtually Recreate House of Caecilius Iucundus in Pompeii [2017]
• Today is the anniversary of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii in A.D. 79. [2017]
• Three D animated reconstruction of Pompei [2016]
• Skeletons and Gold Coins Found in Pompeii Shop [2016]
• Huge Roman Villa Found Under Amalfi Church Set To Open [2016]
• How Ancient Rome's 1% Hijacked the Beach [2016]
• Excavations at Idalion, Cyprus: Crossing Cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean [April 6, 2016] [2016]
• How Pompeii brought ancient Roman wine back to life [2016]
• Watch the Destruction of Pompeii by Mount Vesuvius, Re-Created with Computer Animation (79 AD) [2016]
• 'A bronze age Pompeii': archaeologists hail discovery of Peterborough site [2016]
• A 2,000-year-old ancient Roman laundromat open to public for first time [2016]
• Scans show Pompeii victims 'in good health' [other than being dead] [2015]
• Archaeologists discover a Pre-Roman era tomb in perfect condition at Pompeii [2015]
• [from January 3, 2014] Giraffe Was on Menu in Pompeii Restaurants [2015]
• The Fall and Rise and Fall of Pompeii [2015]
• ...Bizarre new pyramid ... opens in Pompeii to house volcano exhibition [2015]
• Pictured: The 2,000-year-old gladiator's helmet discovered in Pompeii's ruins [2015]
• X-ray technique 'reads' burnt Vesuvius scroll [2015]
• Buried city of Pompeii unveils three new houses [well, not new...] [2014]
• Thieves pry off ancient fresco from Pompeii walls [2014]
• Pompeii-like volcanic ash kept dinosaur remains fresh [2014]
• Diets of the middle and lower class in Pompeii revealed [2014]
• Italian mafia boss 'fed alive to pigs'--- Police believe Francesco Raccosta was kidnapped...... [2013]
• Unlocking the scrolls of Herculaneum [2013]
• Unlocking the scrolls of Herculaneum [2013]
• Getty Villa Examines Life and Legacy of Roman Emperor Tiberius [2013]
• Construction Magnate Donates Millions To Restore Pompeii As UNESCO Criticises Italian Government [2013]
• Herculaneum Panoramas [2013]
• The Unsolved Mystery of the Tunnels at Baiae [2012]
• Italian 'Super Volcano' May Threaten Millions: Scientists plan to drill deep below Romans'... [2012]
• "Come Back To Sorrento" [2012]
• Pillar at Pompei villa collapses [2011]
• Mount Vesuvius [ erupted and buried Pompeii et al, August 24-25, A.D. 79 ] [2011]
• Pompeii ruin collapses amid claims site mismanaged (House of the Gladiators) [2010]
• Pompeii's House of Gladiators collapses [2010]
• Pompeii's Mystery Horse Is a Donkey [2010]
• Archaeologists find 'mini-Pompeii' [ Norway, 3500 BC ] [2010]
• Walk the Streets of Roman Pompeii On Google Maps/Earth [2010]
• Reading the Writing on Pompeii's Walls [2010]
• The Destruction of Pompeii -- God's Revenge? [2010]
• Lethal Thermal Impact at Periphery of Pyroclastic Surges: Evidences at Pompeii [2010]
• Pompeii snack bar re-opens...nearly 2000 years after it was destroyed by eruption of Mt Vesuvius [2010]
• Ancient city of Pompeii added to Google Street View [2009]
• UQ archaeology digs into the life behind Pompeii [latrines] [2009]
• Roman Statues Found in Blue Grotto Cave [2009]
• Digging deeper: Archaeologists race to show Pompeii daily life [2009]
• UK to 'unroll' papyrus scrolls buried by Vesuvius [Kentucky prof has non-invasive scanning technique [2009]
• Digital images reveal the secrets of Roman painting [2009]
• ISIS Examines Origins Of Pompeii-Style Artifacts [2009]
• Pompeii Family's Final Hours Reconstructed [2008]
• Pontiff Puts World in Mary's Hands [Catholic Caucus] [2008]
• Pope: in Pompeii to entrust the synod and missionaries to the Virgin Mary [Catholic] [2008]
• Prehistoric Disaster: An Alpine Pompeii from the Stone Age [2008]
• Fish Sauce Used to Date Pompeii Eruption [ garum / liquamen] [2008]
• Beyond Pompeii: Places swallowed by Vesuvius [2008]
• In search of Western civilisation's lost classics (Herculaneum) [2008]
• In search of Western civilisation's lost classics [2008]
• Ancient tannery in Pompeii to undergo restoration this year [2008]
• In pictures: Ancient Roman paintings [2007]
• Ancient Romans Preferred Fast Food [2007]
• Ground Rises Near Ancient Italian Volcano [2007]
• "Korean Pompeii" Discovered on Jeju Island [2007]
• First Pompeii Uncovered (3rd Century BC) [2007]
• Fossil "Pompeii" of Prehistoric Animals Named U.S. Landmark [2006]
• Italians Dig Deep to Reveal Forgotten Roman City [2006]
• Brooklyn College Anthropologist Identifies New Prehistoric Monkey [2006]
• Think Pompeii Got Hit Hard? Worse Eruptions Lurk [2006]
• Villa Buried By Pompeii Eruption Is Unearthed [2005]
• Oldest noodles unearthed in China [2005]
• Archaeologists Unveil Pompeii Treasure [2005]
• Archaeologists offer tastes of Pompeii [2005]
• Pompei Discovery For Swedish Archaeologists [2005]
• Pompeii's Burial Not Its First Disaster [2004]
• Pompeii Pottery May Rewrite History [2004]
• The Pacific's Pompeii [2004]
• Early volcano victims discovered [2004]
• Etruscan Engineering and Agricultural Achievements: The Ancient City of Spina [2004]
• Move Over, Pompeii [2004]
• Alaska Volcano West of Anchorage Stirs After 12-Year Slumber [2004]
• Latin Course Stage 6 (Pompeii Slave Girl) [2004]
• Pompeii Find Shows Secrets Of The Samnites [2004]
• Viking 'Town' Is Ireland's Equivalent Of Pompeii [2004]
• Archaeoligists: Iraqi Dam Threatens City [2003]
• Clues to Roman Illnesses in 2,000-Year-Old Cheese [2002]
• Herculean task for modern scholars - More on the Discovered Roman Literature being unearthed. [2002]
• 'Bronze Age Pompeii' Found In Italy [2001]
• [Note: This thread is from November 14, 2001]Ancient unisex bathhouse dressing room, decorated with [2001]

[SunkenCiv]

I will admit that even I find it off-putting that the Romans always displayed their statuary (which is white marble in its natural state after carving) painted up like lawn dwarfs. :^)

[hinckley buzzard]

Previous eruptions of Vesuvius were known to Greek and Roman scholars and historians who had inhabited the area for centuries before 79 AD. They didn’t know what a volcano was but they did know the mountain had erupted before. They thought a surly god lived there. The 79 AD eruption was notable only because of the prosperous city that had grown up in the intervening years.

[colorado tanker]

Of course they knew it was a volcano. They were just playing the odds.

People are doing the same thing today, by living in the likely impact area.

[Steve Van Doorn]

most of that has holes in them. i would say the found a jewelry shop.

[SunkenCiv]

• [landslides] Pompeii's Burial Not Its First Disaster [2004]
• [Nola] Move Over, Pompeii [2004]
• [Nola] 'Bronze Age Pompeii' Found In Italy [2001]

[colorado tanker]

I once played the Mayor of River City in a production of The Music Man. The Mayor introduced his wife’s spectacle called the Last Days of Pom-pee-eye!