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| Many perished during sleep. |
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| Plaster casts of victims, made in 1961 |
The ruins of Pompeii were initially uncovered in the late 16th century when the architect, Domenico Fontana, was commissioned to dig a canal near the Sarno River some time in 1592. During this work, fragments of buildings, inscriptions and frescoes were found though their significance was not recognised at the time, and the artifacts were largely ignored. Early digging was often haphazard and focused on treasure hunting and it was not until 1748 that formal excavations were begun, spurred on by the recent discoveries at nearby Herculaneum 1738/48 where excavations had gradually revealed streets, houses and public buildings preserved under volcanic ash. Its historical importance was confirmed with the discovery of an inscription in 1763 definitively identifying the site as Pompeii. Although discovered in the 16th century most of the scientific research on what was effectively a prosperous Roman seaside town, has been relatively recent,
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| Plaster cast of child victim of the eruption |
particularly during, and since, 1961. It has been estimated that around 2,000 people perished in the Mount Vesuvius eruptions in Pompeii and nearby towns, though archaeologists now believe that many more had escaped than originally thought. The terrible event has been studied extensively in part because of the remarkable preservation of many features of Roman life found beneath the layers of ash and pumice and, in addition, many witnesses who survived, also left written accounts of the calamity.
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| Small metal surgical instruments recently uncovered in the bag of a medicus. |
One area extensively excavated during 1961 has been dubbed the Garden of the Fugitives when plaster casts were made from the voids left in the ash by the bodies of the volcano's victims; around 104 in total. Within one of these plaster casts a small case made from 'organic material', probably leather, was found although the case's contents had remained a mystery. This current investigation, using X and CT scans, has now revealed that the case contained several small metal instruments thought to be surgical tools and a slate tablet probably used for preparing medicine such as honey, wine, vinegar and plant extracts. The case was locked with a mechanism based on a toothed wheel. The man accompanying this medical kit might well have been a medicus trained in medicine and surgery, possibly planning to treat people affected by the eruption, or perhaps hoping to escape the worst and rebuild a new life, thanks to his profession. He was carrying a small fabric bag containing bronze and silver coins which again points to the notion of escaping to make a new life, elsewhere. Educated Greek slaves had sometimes filled this role of medicus, but by the time of the Vesuvius eruption, when Titus was the Roman Emperor, medicine had gained a higher status. The practice of medicine had become valued by wealthy Romans though the ultimate stage of surgery, a life-saving operation, did entail serious risks. There were no antibiotics or anaesthetics and patients often died from subsequent infections. In addition, the causes of illnesses were not well understood; diseases like malaria were thought to be caused by bad air (the Greek 'miasma' theory) and Roman medical treatments, and solutions often dealt with the superstitions of supposed curses and malign spirits which were powerful and greatly feared.
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| Roman surgical practice. |
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| There are many casts of people in the last moments of their lives in the Garden of The Fugitives. These casts portray victims in all their tender and heart-breaking vulnerability, doomed to die but caught for posterity in their final struggles. |
Garden of the Fugitives today.
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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