Great Archaeological Finds - A Wicker Basket in Pompeii

Most people in the world have heard of Pompeii, Italy,years, until it was rediscovered in 1748 and excavation
the site of one of the worst natural disasters ofwas begun. The buildings were the first to be exposed,
ancient times. One of the greatest finds in the historyas well as statues, fountains, and gardens. As the
of the city was made in July, 2005, when anarchaeologists began to explore deeper into the
archaeologist checking on the progress of a newstructures and streets, they began to uncover the
motorway being built in the area dug up the remains ofheartbreaking remains of the residents of this ancient
a man lying next into an ancient Roman basketcity, laying sprawled face down or, as in one case,
containing silverware. While the silverware andappearing to be sitting and praying. It seems that the
numerous articles such as pottery and paintings haveash had formed a casing around the individuals that
been commonly found amongst the ruins, this was onhad been buried in the eruption. Although their remains
of the few times that a Roman basket had beenhad long since decomposed, the outlines of their bodies
unearthed, although the container and its contentswere still visible, some of these even showing the
were somewhat melted together.looks of suffering that was apparent on these poor
To understand the significance of this find, you mustsouls' faces.
first understand what happened in Pompeii on AugustAs well as finding the inhabitants' bodies, the
24, 79 A.D. The city was a busy seaport and aarchaeologists found a treasure trove of daily utensils
summer resort area for wealthy Romans who wishedand household items that could give them an idea of
to get away from the demands of living in Rome itselfwhat daily life was like 2000 years ago. Most of the
and was located at the base of Mount Vesuvius, anartifacts that remained were made of metal, marble or
active yet mostly quiet volcano. Estimations of theother materials that could easily withstand the heat of
population at the time of the disaster vary, althoughthe molten lava that was exuding from Vesuvius.
most experts agree that thee probably approximatelyIt is for this reason that the Roman wicker basket that
20,000 people living in the area at the time. In the pastwas found was so exciting. It would seem that the
few years, earthquakes were a common occurrence,man who was found lying next to it was trying to
so when the ground began to shake on that fatefulescape Pompeii's devastation and had crawled
August day, most of the residence ignored it (much asunderneath a stairwell with his valuables. The sheltered
Californians do today). Suddenly, Vesuvius awoke anddesign of this area helped to protect the basket from
began to erupt.being destroyed. Although it is not in perfect shape, the
The people became panicked as they tried to reacharchaeologists are treating the fibers with different
safety. While many fled to the seaport, others tookchemicals to preserve that material that it was made
their chances trying to journey overland. Still otherof, with the hopes of displaying this rare container with
individuals sought shelter within their homes, notthe rest of the Pompeii exhibit in the near future.
realizing that they would remain there through eternity.Pompeii is one of the largest tourist attractions in all of
The high intensity heat and the amount of ash in the airItaly. If you wish to get a peek into the lives of ancient
soon eliminated anyone who had remained in the area.Romans as well as to experience the emotional
The volcano eventually buried the town with layers ofaspects of the disaster, it is a trip that you will not soon
ash and pumice, where it remained buried for 1700forget.