Two more victims of volcano eruption found in Roman ruins of Pompeii

Two skeletons were found on Tuesday (16 May) in the ruins at Pompeii. The ancient Roman city was wiped out in AD 79 by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

A ministry statement stated that the skeletons recovered from the building, known as the House of the Painters at Work, were probably of two men who were in their 50s and died in the earthquake that occurred along with the eruption.

The Director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, said that they were not killed by volcanic ash. Instead, their bones were fractured by wall fragments.

The German archaeologist stated that "modern excavation techniques helps us better understand the inferno which completely destroyed Pompeii city over two days and killed many residents".

Pompeii was located 23 km (14miles) south of Naples. It was the home of 13,000 people in 79 AD when it was submerged under ash and pumice stones.

According to the Culture Ministry, "at least 15-20% of population" were killed. Archaeologists recovered more than 1,300 remains over the last two and a quarter centuries.

Pompeii, which was not discovered until the 16th century, is experiencing a recent burst in archaeological activity, thanks to an EU-funded project that recently ended. The project, funded at €105 million, aimed to stop years of decay and negligence.

The Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sgiuliano stated that conservation and archaeological research will continue.

He said: "The discovery shows us that there is much more to learn, and that we need to do further excavations in order to uncover all the treasures that are still hidden within this vast treasure."

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