Survivors and settlers returned to Pompeii ruins, new research shows
Fresh excavations from the Insula Meridionalis (Southern Block) of the archaeological park have revealed post-eruption modifications to buildings, signs of domestic activity, and adaptive reuse of the ruins.
Researchers now believe this post-eruption community lived in makeshift conditions, transforming the ruined homes into a kind of survivalist settlement.
Upper floors were re-inhabited while the ground levels - once elegant Roman spaces - were repurposed into cellars with ovens and mills.
These settlers may have included not only former residents, but also newcomers with nothing to lose - hoping to survive among the wreckage or even unearth valuables left behind.
'Judging by the archaeological data, it must have been an informal settlement where people lived in precarious conditions, without the infrastructure and services typical of a Roman city,' researchers said in a statement.
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the site added: "Thanks to the new excavations, the picture is now clearer: post-79 Pompeii re-emerges, more than a city, a precarious and grey agglomeration, a kind of camp, a favela among the still recognisable ruins of the Pompeii that once was."
The research team believes this period of reoccupation may have continued until the 5th century, when another volcanic event - known as the "Pollena eruption" - likely forced the final abandonment of the site.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
7 days ago
- Euronews
Survivors and settlers returned to Pompeii ruins, new research shows
Though the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD turned Pompeii into a city of ash, killing up to a fifth of its 20,000 residents and leaving it in ruins, new evidence suggests that some survivors - and possibly newcomers - returned to the smouldering remains to rebuild their lives. Fresh excavations from the Insula Meridionalis (Southern Block) of the archaeological park have revealed post-eruption modifications to buildings, signs of domestic activity, and adaptive reuse of the ruins. Researchers now believe this post-eruption community lived in makeshift conditions, transforming the ruined homes into a kind of survivalist settlement. Upper floors were re-inhabited while the ground levels - once elegant Roman spaces - were repurposed into cellars with ovens and mills. These settlers may have included not only former residents, but also newcomers with nothing to lose - hoping to survive among the wreckage or even unearth valuables left behind. 'Judging by the archaeological data, it must have been an informal settlement where people lived in precarious conditions, without the infrastructure and services typical of a Roman city,' researchers said in a statement. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the site added: "Thanks to the new excavations, the picture is now clearer: post-79 Pompeii re-emerges, more than a city, a precarious and grey agglomeration, a kind of camp, a favela among the still recognisable ruins of the Pompeii that once was." The research team believes this period of reoccupation may have continued until the 5th century, when another volcanic event - known as the "Pollena eruption" - likely forced the final abandonment of the site.
LeMonde
10-07-2025
- LeMonde
Is the postcoital moment always a sad one?
The expression dates back eighteen centuries – to the Greco-Roman physician Galen, who wrote: "Every animal is sad after coitus, except the woman and the rooster." Today, science uses less colorful language. The phenomenon is now referred to as "postcoital dysphoria," characterized by crying, anxiety, sadness, irritability or even aggression. These symptoms may appear after sexual intercourse or even after masturbation. Contrary to Galen's assertion, this dysphoria also affects women. In 2011, a study in the International Journal of Sexual Health found that one-third of women had experienced at least one episode of post-coital dysphoria. However, the numbers are indeed higher among men. In 2019, a study published in the Journal of Sexual Marital Therapy showed that 41% of men had experienced post-coital sadness. Around 3% felt it after every encounter. In an extreme (and much rarer) form, some men suffer from "POIS," or post-orgasmic illness syndrome. Ejaculation then brings on flu-like symptoms that can last for several hours or even days. Why so much distress? There are about 20 explanatory theories, but current research suggests multiple factors are involved. This makes treatment complicated.
Euronews
04-07-2025
- Euronews
Rare sword find leads to discovery of Roman-era settlement in England
What began as an extremely rare discovery of two Roman swords by a metal detectorist has led to an enormous Early-Middle Iron Age find in the Cotswolds in south-west England. Archaeological excavations at the site in Gloucestershire have revealed an extensive Roman era settlement from the first and second centuries. The site near Willersey, funded by Historic England and directed jointly with Cotswold Archaeology, suggests possible evidence of a Roman villa, which may also have a pair of flanking wings, one at either end of a central range. Once Historic England has the final report on the archaeological work, it will be able to consider whether to recommend to the UK government that the site be protected as a scheduled monument. Iron Roman cavalry swords The dig follows the discovery of two iron Roman cavalry swords, possibly displaying traces of their scabbards, during a metal detecting rally in the north of the Cotswolds in March 2023. The swords were originally reported to and identified by the Portable Antiquities Scheme, who arranged with the finder, metal detectorist Glenn Manning, and the landowner for them to be donated to the Corinium Museum in Cirencester. The swords were X-rayed at Historic England's science facility at Fort Cumberland in Portsmouth. Analysis of the weapons reveals they were constructed differently: one has evidence of decorative pattern welding running down the centre, whereas the other sword is plain. The pattern-welded sword would have been more expensive to produce and therefore higher status. The swords will be available for the public to see at the Corinium Museum from 2 August. Although historically important, at the time of discovery they were not protected by laws such as the 1996 Treasure Act as no gold or silver were discovered within the assemblage that contained the two iron swords, several copper alloy scabbard fittings and strap fittings and a fragmentary copper alloy bowl. It is believed these long swords or 'spatha' were used by the Romans on horseback from early in the second century AD through to the third century AD. They are contemporary with the villa. How they came to be there though, is currently unknown.
