The
eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD is one of the most catastrophic and famous
eruptions of all time. The explosion of the eruption threw deadly cloud of
stones, ash and fumes to a height of 20.5 miles, spewing molten rock and
pulverized pumice at the rate of 1.5 million tons per second, ultimately
releasing a hundred thousand times the thermal energy released by the Hiroshima
bombing. The city of Pompeii was obliterated by pyroclastic flows and an
estimated 16,000 citizens perished in the event.
Centuries
later when Pompeii was excavated diggers uncovered decomposed bodies of
countless victims. In one place, plaster was poured into the spaces left by
decomposed bodies and when the dirt was removed after the plaster had hardened,
thirteen adults and children were found huddled together, making futile
attempts to shield themselves from the onslaught of volcanic dust, pumice,
stone, and ash.
This place, where once stood an ancient orchard, came to be known as the
“Garden of the Fugitives” and it offers visitors a frozen glimpse of Pompeii's
appalling last hours. The thirteen bodies were of people who were trying to
flee the deadly volcanic dust and rocks, which gave the garden its name.
A
large number of artifacts and casts from Pompeii are also preserved in the
Naples National Archaeological Museum.
No comments:
Post a Comment