Posted on 04/17/2005 1:36:52 PM PDT by blam
Published: 17th April 2005 11:48 BST+1
Pompei discovery for Swedish archeologists
(AFP) Swedish archeologists have discovered a Stone Age settlement covered in ash under the ruins of the ancient city of Pompei, indicating that the volcano Vesuvius engulfed the area in lava more than 3,500 years before the famous 79 AD eruption.
The archeologists recently found burnt wood and grains of corn in the earth under Pompei, Anne-Marie Leander Touati, a professor of archeology at Stockholm University who led the team, told AFP.
"Carbon dating shows that the finds are from prehistoric times, that is, from 3,500 years BC," Leander Touati said. It was until now believed that Pompei was first inhabited during the Bronze Age.
The group of archeologists - part of a larger international project - were mapping a Roman neighbourhood of Pompei when they made the discovery.
"It was a real fluke," Leander Touati said, explaining that the group was emptying a well to determine its use when it made the find.
"We realized that the well was a lot deeper than we thought, and we sent a guy down into the well. He moved some of the earth and suddenly he was in prehistoric times," she said.
The Stone Age remains were covered in a thick layer of ash. On top of that a a layer of ceramic shards was found, which according to Leander Touati could be from the Bronze Age. Additional geological layers lay on top of that, and on top of it all were the ruins of Pompei.
Pompei was covered in lava when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. The excellently preserved ruins have become one of the world's most visited archaeological sites.
Leander Touati said her group was now planning the next step.
"We're going down there again," she said.
GGG Ping.
Note to self - never live near volcanoes.
It must be a lovely spot, the volcano notwithstanding, to have attracted so many settlements through the ages.
I have always felt that in a previous life, I lived and died in Pompei when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. I am series.
I wonder when Vesuvius is due to erupt again?
Nobody's ever reported living and dying in The Bronx in a previous life. It's always someplace famous and cool.
Mysterious, huh?
Discovery Channel: BUT IN 4 YEARS THE SUPER VOLCANO IS GOING TO GET EVERYONE!
I didn't do it.
Not only that, all the people I know who "recover" past lives just happened to be kings or queens in those glamorous places. Nobody ever claims to have been an apprentice tanner with bad acne, living in hickville...
Probably before Jan. 20, 2009...That so it will be Bush's fault
Pompeii was NOT covered in lava but rather in ash.Lava would have destroyed completely all that neat stuff which renders the place a well stocked museum.
In my previous lives, I was a drunk. So in my present life, I only drink on weekends or weekdays.
One of the most beautiful in the world.
Did they actually state that or are you making that up?
I read some book a long time back and the woman was supposed to have been a prostitute in the old west! Not exactly glamorous. Didn't say if she had ance though.
Discovery ran a "Documentary" It was more like something from the producer of the day after tomarrarow. In it, Yellowstone became a super volcano and destroyed half the world.
The headline was... "This is a true story it just hasnt happened yet"
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