How did the people in Pompeii freeze?

Pompei was built in the 6th century BC and was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. However, due to being buried by volcanic ash, the street houses are relatively well preserved. In 1748, human remains encased in volcanic ash were unearthed, and they realized that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD had buried a city.

At the moment of the volcanic eruption, countless victims were killed by volcanic pumice, poisonous gas, and volcanic ash. Due to the temperature and chemical properties of volcanic ash and other eruptions, it is difficult to preserve dead bodies. At that time, the bodies of many deceased people were wrapped in volcanic ash. After a long time, the corpses decomposed, but the volcanic ash left a very hard empty shell. In order to better preserve and display this history, scientists have used a method, which is plaster pouring, so that it is easy to copy the statue of the deceased. Although these people have passed away nearly 2,000 years ago, they can still give everyone who comes here a great shock. These "human fossils" that seem to be frozen are not fossils, but a method of restoration now.

Volcanic eruptions are feared and terrifying because they can kill people in so many ways - choking ash, flowing lava, flooding from breaching lakes, landslides, mudslides, combustion of natural gas, shock waves, earthquakes and tsunamis. According to statistics, 2,000 people died in Pompeii City alone during the eruption of the Pompeii volcano. Some were instantly killed by the collapse and injured, and some were slowly suffocated by the volcanic ash. The painful process when humans are waiting to die in a helpless state is Very scary and unimaginable.

When archaeologists discovered Pompeii, they realized they would have found bones wrapped in air bags, encased in layers of pumice, volcanic ash and debris. Fortunately, they came up with an ingenious way of refilling the air bag so that while they were in it, the cast ensured the bones maintained their shape for 48 hours. They can then chip away at the pumice, ash and debris from the plaster surface. Then the lime takes the shape of the body.

So, in fact, the remains of the Pompeii people we saw are just lime, not frozen corpses. These corpses have long since decomposed and evaporated, leaving only their bones. But pumice, ash, and other debris can quickly harden around a body, creating a mold. Therefore, when the body decomposes, the outline of the original body will be left in the hard material

Some lime models are very shocking. Many of them are not as calm and neat as the corpses we usually see in coffins. Pompeii's remains are found in various poses. Some were huddled on the ground; some were sitting against the wall, hugging their knees; some were hugging each other.

So, how did these people die? People in Pompeii died in different ways: some were burned to death, some were suffocated, and some were struck by other debris.

Vesuvius erupted at noon. From then on, until dawn the next day, about 8 feet, or 2.5 meters of pumice landed in Pompeii. It starts out as white pumice, and in the second half it turns into gray pumice. Pumice is like hell. During this time, most of the Pompeii people fled. Some houses collapsed under the weight of the pumice, and some Pompeii died. But most Pompeii were excavated above layers of pumice, meaning they escaped previous volcanic eruptions.

The next volcanic eruption was even more tragic. This eruption was mixed with a large area of ??volcanic debris. Compared with Herculaneum, the ancient city of Pompeii is further away from Mount Vesuvius, so the pumice and volcanic ash layer in Pompeii is only 4 meters, while the volcanic ash layer in Herculaneum reaches 20 meters. Therefore, the debris from the volcanic eruption only reached the edge of Pompeii.

There has long been a speculation that the toxic gases emitted by the volcanic eruption, coupled with lack of oxygen, caused the Pompeii people to suffocate. Today, however, the more commonly accepted version is that the Pompeii people were almost immediately killed by the heat when the fourth wave of volcanic debris hit. At Herculaneum, the remains were charred bones. It was much hotter there than Pompeii. However, Pompeii's pyroclasts were only a few inches thick.

But it is generally believed that even a small amount of volcanic ash can cause the surrounding temperature to reach 550 degrees Fahrenheit, about 300 degrees Celsius, which is enough to kill people instantly. Scientists believe that this is the reason why the Pompeii remains are in the posture they are in.

Later, they were buried by pumice, volcanic ash and debris. Depending on their location at the time of the incident, they were buried sooner or later.

In 1748, Naples engineer Alebir was ordered to survey a water diversion channel dug 150 years ago. The location was more than 20 kilometers northwest of Naples. When he dug to a depth of 6 meters, he discovered a mummy and Some colorful paintings. According to research by historians, this is the famous ancient Roman city of Pompeii that has been missing for more than 1,600 years. So large-scale excavation work began. The initial purpose of the excavation was just to find art treasures and gold and silver treasures. In 1763, the German John sorted out the original appearance of Pompeii.

By 1860, after more than 100 years of systematic excavation, the ancient city of Pompeii was rediscovered. The ancient city of Pompeii is backed by mountains and faces the sea, located at the southeast foot of Mount Vesuvius, 23 kilometers from Naples and 241 kilometers from Rome. The ancient city is slightly rectangular, surrounded by city walls, with gates on all sides. The streets in the city are criss-crossed, and the neighborhoods are laid out like a chessboard. According to historical records, it is a small city with a dense population and a large number of business travelers. By 79 AD, this place had become a paradise for the rich. Nobles and wealthy businessmen came here to build luxurious villas one after another, and Pompeii became a famous city of wine and sex. There are shops and restaurants on both sides of the city's streets, and there are advertisements and slogans on the walls. They are all arranged according to industry. There is also a large theater in the south of the city that can accommodate 1,200 spectators. There are also arenas, stadiums, hotels, casinos, brothels and public baths. These all show the degree of development of Pompeii at that time.

Strangely, in the recreated Pompeii, people can clearly see the sudden interruption of life: there are uneaten eggs and fish on the dining table, and there are baked goods in the bread oven. bread and coins on store counter. Although the victims have turned into fossils, their movements, postures, and expressions at the time of the disaster have been well preserved. Some squatted on the ground and covered their faces with their hands, some lay on the ground and struggled, and some fled in a hurry with pillows on their heads. , the beggar desperately clutched the money bag, and the slaves died beside the chains that they couldn't break open... all of this was frozen in a moment like a movie shot. What happened in Pompeii?

Experts have confirmed that the ancient city of Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. At noon on August 24, 89 AD, with a loud bang, Mount Vesuvius instantly erupted into a cloud of magma as high as the sky. Thick smoke wrapped in hot volcanic ash, filled with a suffocating smell of sulfur, hit Pompeii overwhelmingly. Within hours, Pompeii was engulfed in thick volcanic ash, and the vibrant city disappeared without a trace in an instant.

Although the mystery of the disappearance of Pompeii has been solved, there is one thing that is strange. Why was Naples not damaged at that time? And it is closer to the volcano than Pompeii. Today, the prosperous ancient city of Pompeii has become a historical relic, and Naples is the fourth largest city in Italy, with a current population of 978,000, and the beautiful Bay of Naples is world-renowned. Maybe this is history! There is no room for assumptions, no going back, it can only flow with time.

There has long been a speculation that the toxic gases emitted by the volcanic eruption, coupled with lack of oxygen, caused the Pompeii people to suffocate. Today, however, the more commonly accepted version is that the Pompeii people were almost immediately killed by the heat when the fourth wave of volcanic debris hit. At Herculaneum, the remains were charred bones. It was much hotter there than Pompeii. However, Pompeii's pyroclasts were only a few inches thick. But it is generally believed that even a small amount of volcanic ash can cause the surrounding temperature to reach 550 degrees Fahrenheit, about 300 degrees Celsius, which is enough to kill people instantly. Scientists believe this is the reason why the Pompeii remains are in the posture they are in.

Later, they were buried by pumice, volcanic ash and debris. Depending on their location at the time of the incident, they were buried sooner or later.

Pompei

(ancient city in the Apennine Peninsula)

Pompeii is an ancient city with a long history in the Campania region in the southwest corner of the Apennine Peninsula.

It is about 240 kilometers away from Rome, near Naples in southern Italy, and 10 kilometers southeast of the foot of Mount Vesuvius. About 20 kilometers away from the beautiful Bay of Naples to the west, it is a summer resort with mountains on its back and the sea on its back.

It was built in the 6th century BC and was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. However, due to being buried by volcanic ash, the street houses are relatively intact. Archaeological excavations have continued since 1748 to this day, providing important information for understanding the social life, culture and art of ancient Rome.

In June 2016, Pompeii was rated as one of the world’s top ten ancient tombs with rare treasures.

Archaeological Discovery

In 1748, people excavated human remains wrapped in volcanic ash, and then realized that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD had buried a city.

Human fossils in the Antiquities Museum

In fact, these "human fossils" are not fossils, and there were no remains left at that time! Due to the temperature and chemical properties of volcanic ash and other eruptions, it was difficult to preserve dead bodies. At that time, many of the bodies of the deceased were wrapped in volcanic ash. After a long time, the bodies decomposed, but the volcanic ash left a very hard empty shell. They used One way they found was plaster pouring, which made it easy to replicate the statue of the deceased [4]. This practice started in 1860. In 1991, nine more corpses were cloned using the same method, allowing us to learn more about the pain people endured at the last moment of the disaster and the tragedy at that time.

History

As early as the 8th century BC, Pompeii, a small fishing village relying on a natural harbor in the Mediterranean, gradually developed into a city. Decades later, it gathered merchants and became the second largest city after ancient Rome in Italy.

It is 300 kilometers away from Rome in the north, the famous Sicily in the west, and Greece and North Africa in the south. Pompeii's magical Sun Temple, huge Colosseum, magnificent theater, efficacious wizard's hall, novel steam baths, numerous shops and entertainment venues attracted many wealthy businessmen and nobles from the Mediterranean city-states. In addition, the Vesuvius volcano in the north of the city has brought strange magma soil, volcanic rocks and geothermal hot springs due to multiple eruptions over hundreds of millions of years.

On February 8, 62 AD, a strong earthquake hit this area, causing the collapse of many buildings. Many of the destroyed buildings we see in Pompeii today are from that earthquake caused. After the earthquake, the Pompeii people rebuilt the city and pursued luxury and luxury.

On August 24, 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupted. The volcanic ash about 5.6 meters thick wiped Pompeii from the earth without mercy.

Pompei did not leave any remains of corpses. What we see now are copied by modern people using cement pouring. There were no remains of Pompeii at that time! Due to the temperature and chemical properties of volcanic ash and other eruptions, it was difficult to preserve dead bodies. At that time, many bodies of the deceased were wrapped in volcanic ash. After a long time, the bodies decomposed, but the volcanic ash left a very hard empty shell. They used One method was to pour cement, so that it would be easy to replicate the statue of the deceased. This practice started in 1860. In 1991, nine more corpses were cloned using the same method, allowing us to learn more about the pain people endured at the last moment of the disaster and the tragedy at that time.

I find it quite tragic that an ancient civilized city was destroyed like this.

Speaking of volcanic eruptions, people will naturally think of Pompeii. On August 24, 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii. Mudslides caused by volcanic thunderstorms also engulfed the nearby town of Herculaneum. At present, 4/5 of Pompeii has been excavated, and the Pompeii Museum has become a world-famous tourist attraction, allowing the world to see the civilization of the ancient Roman Empire and the power of nature.

In 79 AD, this place had become a paradise for the rich. Nobles and wealthy businessmen came here to build luxurious villas one after another, and Pompeii became a famous city of wine and sex. There are shops and restaurants on both sides of the city's streets, and there are advertisements and slogans on the walls. They are all arranged according to industry. There is also a large theater in the south of the city that can accommodate 1,200 spectators. There are also arenas, stadiums, hotels, casinos, brothels and public baths. These all show the degree of development of Pompeii at that time.

In just 18 hours, Mount Vesuvius erupted with more than 10 billion tons of pumice, rocks and volcanic ash. Pompeii was buried and forgotten for more than 1,500 years, and water channels were not dug until 1594. The time unexpectedly reappeared. Excavation work has continued for hundreds of years, and the findings here shocked the world - the volcanic ash sealed the entire city like a "time capsule", preserving temples, shops, streets and houses.

The most heartbreaking thing is those plaster casts. The corpses of the victims have decayed, leaving only the figures covered in volcanic ash. Men, women, children, and even animals, their last moments of life are thus immortal. Some of the victims even left clues to their identities.

In the home of Polybias, a potbellied skeleton of a woman was found, surrounded by her family members; in the gladiator camp, a woman wearing jewelry The remains of a beautiful lady lie beside the gladiator; in the ruins of the cheap hotel, a female slave still wears an engraved bracelet; near the bleaching factory, a skeleton still clutches a bag of gold.

Victoria Mount Suvais still dominates the Bay of Naples, attracting people with its fertile soil.

One thousand nine hundred years ago, in the southeast of Rome, there was an ancient city called Pompeii. The city faces the azure Gulf of Naples to the west and the majestic Vesuvius volcano to the north, and is home to more than 20,000 residents. On August 24, 79 AD, a devastating disaster struck Pompeii. At about one o'clock in the afternoon that day, Mount Vesuvius, about ten kilometers away from the city, suddenly erupted.

Billowing smoke and countless sparks rose into the sky from the top of the mountain, and violent explosions continued one after another. In an instant, the sky darkened, the earth shook, and even the calm Bay of Naples stirred up turbulent waves. The sparks were lava that was erupted and solidified into rocks when it hit the ground. A large amount of rocks and volcanic ash covered the ground near the volcano. Then came heavy rains, causing flash floods.

The ancient city of Pompeii

The flash flood carried countless stones and volcanic ash to form a huge mudflow, rushing violently down the mountain. Pompeii, this ancient city built in the sixth century BC, was completely buried like this... More than a thousand years later, Pompeii was gradually forgotten by people. Scholars who study history only know of the existence of Pompeii when they consult ancient Roman books, but where its ruins are has always been a mystery.

Ancient City

In the early 18th century, Italian farmers dug out some ancient Roman coins and carved marble while building a canal eight kilometers southwest of Mount Vesuvius. Broken pieces. In 1748, people dug out a stone nearby with the word "Pompei" engraved on it.

So it’s here! The mystery of the ancient city of Pompeii has finally been revealed! "Since 1860, people have begun planned excavations in Pompeii. After more than two hundred years of intermittent excavation, after seeing eeea and the number 110 in Peng Youquan, my husband seems to have returned to his twenties. It's great! Most of this ancient Roman city that has been sleeping underground for thousands of years has been brought to light. Now, people can walk on the spacious and flat streets and appreciate the scenery of this ancient city just like they did in Pompeii.

Pangjian City covers an area of ??about one square kilometer and is surrounded by stone walls and has seven gates.

It is surrounded by stone walls

The most magnificent in the city. The buildings are concentrated around a rectangular square in the southwest. This is the political, economic and religious center of Pompeii. The southeast of the square is the seat of the Pompeii government. According to the excavations at that time. There are many shops here, with a wide range of goods, and business is very prosperous.

During the excavation of Pompeii, many plaster statues of tragic sufferings were discovered. When the volcano erupted, about 2,000 people in the city happened to have a gap to hide in. Therefore, they were not immediately crushed or crushed to death, but they were sealed by the dust and unable to escape. After a long time, the human body decayed, but the volcanic dust formed a model of the human body.

The most magnificent building in the city

Archaeologists poured plaster liquid into this model to reproduce the various postures and expressions of the victims when they were dying: many people covered their faces with their hands , a mother hugged her crying child, many people were lying at the foot of the wall digging holes, and there were also a group of gladiator slaves chained...

Archaeological work slowly unraveled the story of Pompeii The mysterious veil of the ancient city allows people to fully understand the true situation of the Roman Empire city before BC, and also allows the world to see Pompeii's original prosperity and charming brilliance.

There is a movie called "The Last Days of Pompeii", which tells the story of the ancient city of Pompeii. From it, we learned that the ancient city of Pompeii was destroyed by a volcano.

So how did the people in Pompeii freeze? This involves some physics. We all know that once a person dies, the body will slowly melt under the action of bacteria until only bones, hair and teeth remain. However, after excavation, it was found that the people in Pompeii remained as they were before death, which is extremely surprising. Why is this? Let's do an experiment and pour plaster into a hollow human body shape. The plaster will solidify quickly. This is why we often use plaster to make human models, and plaster can also play an antiseptic role.

The same is true for volcanic ash. After a volcanic eruption, volcanic ash, mud, etc. instantly cover the human body and even invade the throat. Because they are buried deep underground and isolated from the air for a long time, after thousands of years of rain polishing and baptism of time, Volcanic ash and mud condensed into a solid, allowing people to retain their appearance before death. After archaeologists discovered them, in order to avoid further damage, they poured gypsum into their bodies so that they could retain their original appearance for a long time. This is the giant The reason why people in Beigu City were frozen.

Let’s briefly review the history of Pompeii

Pompei is located on the Apennine Peninsula in Italy, 240 kilometers away from Rome and 10 kilometers away from Mount Vesuvius. It was first built It was occupied by the Romans in 89 BC in the 6th century BC. Due to its proximity to the seaside, beautiful scenery, increasing population, and developed commerce, many nobles and businessmen built luxurious villas here. At its peak, Pompeii had a population of nearly 30,000, making it the second largest city after Rome at that time. Important buildings include the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Apollo, the Great Hall, the Baths, the Colosseum, etc.

We all know that the soil covered by volcanic ash is particularly fertile, and the same is true for Pompeii. Due to its proximity to Mount Vesuvius, the grapes grown here are large and sweet, making it a good wine, and the volcanic stones are also It has hemostatic, analgesic and soothing effects, as well as numerous geothermal hot springs, attracting people from all over the place, making it very lively. But Mount Vesuvius is a typical active volcano, but the people living here are not aware of its dangers. Many nobles built palaces here, drank and had fun every day, and enjoyed luxury. On August 24, 79 AD, under the strong influence of an earthquake, Mount Vesuvius suddenly woke up and erupted. Thick smoke, mixed with volcanic ash and mud rolled down. The ancient city of Pompeii suddenly became a sea of ????fire, and people did not even have time to escape. He was swallowed up instantly in his sleep. An ancient city that was once infinitely glorious has disappeared into history.

In 1594, when people were building a drinking water canal on the Sarno River, they discovered a stone with the word "Pompeii" engraved on it; in 1707, people dug a well in a garden at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. At that time, three statues of gorgeously dressed women were excavated. In 1748, people excavated human remains wrapped in volcanic ash, and then realized that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD had buried a city! In 1750, the excavation work of the ancient city of Pompeii began. With the deepening of the excavation, the ancient city of Pompeii finally came to light again, revealing its true appearance to the world.

Today, the ancient city of Pompeii has become a world cultural and natural heritage, attracting countless people to visit, and it is the spiritual wealth of all mankind.

I am Mr. Shang Wu, let me answer.

Pompeii, also translated as Pompeii, is located in the Campania region on the southwest coast of Italy. It is a city with a long history in ancient Rome. According to records, the ancient city of Pompeii was built in the 6th century BC, which is equivalent to the Spring and Autumn Period in my country. It was once a densely populated area with numerous merchants and merchants. It had the most beautiful manors, luxurious villas, as well as bathhouses, stadiums, theaters and other leisure and entertainment facilities. There are many workshops and shops in the city, and they are all set up according to industry. The city is dotted with gardens, corridors, walls and marble statues, all showing the extremely high level of art at that time. However, this magnificent ancient city was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Vesuvius is 1,277 meters above sea level. According to geologists, it is a typical active volcano that has been erupting for thousands of years; and the foundation of Pompeii was in the process of being maintained in ancient times. On top of lava that hardened after an eruption of Suvais volcano. Based on unearthed cultural relics and related information, historians and archaeologists have deduced the entire process of the sudden eruption of Mount Vesuvius one day in 79 AD: In an instant, the scorching hot magma spewed from the volcano covered the sky and covered the sun and splashed everywhere. ; Thick black smoke, mixed with hot volcanic ash, poured down overwhelmingly, and the air was filled with a suffocating smell of sulfur; soon, about 6 meters thick lava and volcanic ash spewed mercilessly towards Pompeii. Come, this ancient city was annihilated in an instant, and Pompeii disappeared from the earth.

The sudden disaster brought the life of Pompeii to an abrupt end, and at the same time left its appearance at the moment of destruction. It was sealed in volcanic ash that gradually cooled, solidified, and hardened, and escaped the erosion of thousands of years. So that when it was later excavated and seen again, the world could still appreciate the true appearance of this great ancient civilization.

The most fascinating thing about this site is that it truly preserves the conditions of Pompeii and the Pompeii people when the disaster struck. Being here today, people seem to travel through time and space, returning to the ancient Roman Empire in the first century AD, and feel the weight and impermanence of history.