Newly discovered Pompeiian vases show panic over Mt. Vesuvius' eruption
Archaeologists have discovered 10 clay vases from a pottery workshop in Pompeii. The vases, found under a layer of ash from Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 C.E., were apparently "just ready to be fired," according to Discovery News.
The vases reveal "a frozen-in-time picture of the exact moment panicked potters realized they were facing an impending catastrophe," Discovery News reports. They dropped the vases when they saw smoke in the air and began running for their lives. "They abandoned the workshop and everything they were doing at that moment," Laetitia Cavassa, the dig's director, told Discovery News.
(N. Meluziis shot / French School of Rome)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The pottery workshop was discovered outside the Herculaneum Gate. It included two kilns and at least three pottery rooms. During the excavation, Italian and French archaeologists also found pottery wheels used in the vases' production. They believe the 10 vases would have been used to pour wine or water.
"These vases are direct evidence that the workshop was fully active at the moment of the eruption," Pompeii's archaeological superintendency said in a statement. "They represent a key element in the study of craft activities in the Roman town."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published