New discoveries reveals that life returned to Pompeii’s ruins centuries after disaster struck. Image: Getty images
(The Post News)- New discoveries point to the possibility that people resettled in the remnants of Pompeii following the catastrophic volcanic eruption that wiped out the ancient Roman city.
Before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, Pompeii was inhabited by over 20,000 residents. The volcanic event buried and preserved much of the city, which remained hidden until its rediscovery in the 16th century.
Earlier, it was believed that some people who survived the eruption might have returned to the ruins. Archaeologists revealed in a statement on Wednesday that recent findings now appear to confirm this theory.
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the site’s director, explains that new excavations have brought greater clarity to Pompeii’s condition following the 79 AD eruption. Rather than being restored as a thriving city, the area evolved into a temporary and unstable settlement more like a camp or informal dwelling surrounded by the lingering remnants of the original Roman city.
The archaeologists noted that the makeshift settlement remained in place until the 5th century.
The researchers explained that the evidence shows people lived without the typical infrastructure and services of a Roman city, while the ruins themselves offered chances to recover valuable objects.
It is believed that people resided on the upper floors of homes, above the layer of ash, while the lower levels were transformed into storage areas or cellars.
Zuchtriegel explained that the city’s destruction has dominated public memory, and in the rush to uncover Pompeii’s well-preserved artefacts, the subtle signs of the site’s later reoccupation were often discarded and erased without proper documentation.
Today, the site stands as a major tourist hotspot, offering an invaluable look into the everyday life of the Romans.
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