The ancient Roman city of was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Before this tragic event, the city was home to over 20,000 people. Despite the massive devastation that Pompeii suffered, some individuals who couldn’t start anew elsewhere returned and settled in the desolate area.
This discovery was reported by a team of Italian archaeologists. They noted that former residents of Pompeii who survived were joined by others seeking a place to settle, hoping to find valuable items left among the ruins by the original inhabitants of the city.
From Order and Prosperity to Anarchy
This phrase aptly describes the spirit that settled in with the new wave of inhabitants. “Based on archaeological data, this was likely an informal where people lived under harsh conditions, without the infrastructure and services typical of a Roman city,” the researchers noted. They added that by the 5th century, this area was completely abandoned.
While some life returned to the upper floors of old buildings, the former lower levels were transformed into basements with stoves and mills.
“Thanks to new excavations, the picture has become clearer,” remarked Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park. According to him, the city was being revived, but it was a “fragile and gray cluster, a sort of camp, a favela among the ruins.”
Evidence that this place was resettled had been sporadically discovered by archaeologists before. However, due to the numerous visitors trying to access the colorful and the ruins of houses, “the minor traces of the city’s resettlement were literally destroyed.”
Researchers estimated that between 15 to 20 percent of Pompeii’s population perished due to the volcanic eruption, mostly from heatstroke as a massive cloud of gas and ash enveloped the city. The volcanic ash buried Pompeii, preserving residential homes, public buildings, household items, and even people until their discovery in the late 16th century.
Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the second most visited tourist attraction in Italy after the in Rome. Last year, Pompeii welcomed around 4.17 million visitors, according to Science Alert.
The total area of Pompeii is about 22 hectares, but a third of it remains buried under volcanic ash.
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