A newly published multidisciplinary study has made it possible to reconstruct the damage caused to things and people by the earthquakes that accompanied the disastrous eruption of Vesuvius described by Pliny the Younger
Research conducted as part of a scientific collaboration agreement between the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and the Archaeological Park of Pompeii has reconstructed the effects of the seismicity that characterized the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD on the ancient city of Pompeii and its inhabitants.
The study “A novel view of the destruction of Pompeii during the 79 CE eruption of Vesuvius (Italy): syn-eruptive earthquakes as an additional cause of building collapse and deaths”, just published in the journal 'Frontiers in Earth Science', involved experts in archaeology, volcanology, anthropology and archaeoseismology and analyzed the particular evidence of structural damage and collapses involving two individuals whose skeletal remains were found, brought to light during recent excavations as part of the safety and security works reprofiling of the slopes in the Casti Amanti insula, within the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.
The integration of volcanological data - concerning the detailed sequence of deposits sedimented during the various phases of the eruption - and anthropological - relating to the number and severity of skeletal fractures associated with crushing trauma - together with the analysis of wall lesions and dislocations, highlighted how Pompeii and its inhabitants suffered the destructive and deadly effects of seismicity during the eruption, in addition to those already known resulting from volcanic phenomena.
The studies conducted so far in ancient Pompeii have focused more on the succession of volcanic phenomena and their impact on victims and structures, even if the massive impact of seismicity has been hypothesized in the past. This situation can be attributed to the fact that the effects of volcanic phenomena on structures can mask those induced by seismicity, making interpretation very complex without an accurate assessment of structural damage.
“The results we obtained with our study add a further piece to the knowledge of the dynamics of the events experienced by the inhabitants of Pompeii almost 2000 years ago”, explains Mauro Antonio Di Vito, Director of the INGV-Vesuvian Observatory and co-author of the article. “The study also allowed us to identify the exact moment of the eruption in which the seismicity had destructive effects, probably contributing to influencing the actions of the Pompeians during the catastrophe".
The eruption began in the late morning but only around 13pm did the paroxysmal phase begin. An eruptive column rose on the volcano, reaching a maximum height of more than 00 km, and a rain of pumice began to fall on Pompeii, pushing Pompeians to take refuge or remain in the buildings, as did the two individuals whose skeletons were subjected of study.
"The accumulation of pumice caused the collapse of some roofs and the first victims among those who had sought shelter. After the end of the pumice rain, a brief decline in eruptive activity probably led the survivors to believe that the worst was over, but this was not the case.ì”, explains Domenico Sparice, volcanologist of the INGV-Vesuvian Observatory and co-author of the study, “At the same time, strong earthquakes shook Pompeii, also remembered by Pliny the Younger, an eyewitness of the catastrophe of which two letters are preserved: it was the prelude to the second phase of the eruption, which saw a large sector of the volcano begin to sink, forming a caldera".
"The study just published demonstrates how only a multidisciplinary approach capable of going beyond purely volcanological aspects, also including a careful analysis of wall damage and possibly anthropological analysis in the case of collapses associated with victims, allows a correct assessment of the damage recorded during the eruption and their cause-effect relationship. Furthermore, it demonstrates that during large explosive eruptions the effects of seismicity can be relevant even a few kilometers away from the volcano”, adds the director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, and co-author of the study.
