The look like fossils, but are they really?

Victims at Pompeii in their death poses. Photo: Collector of Experiences

If you have ever visited Pompeii or seen pictures of the ancient city, you may have been fascinated by what look like fossilized victims of the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. They are eerie mementos of the final moments of the people who perished in the disaster, showing their expressions, clothing and death poses. But are they really fossilized bodies, or something else?

No, they aren’t fossils, but rather impressions made by pouring plaster into the cavities left by the decomposing bodies in the volcanic ash. This technique was invented by Giuseppe Fiorelli, the director of the excavations at Pompeii in the 19th century, who realized that the empty spaces in the hardened ash were actually molds of the human remains.

Fiorelli and his team poured liquid plaster into these voids, let it harden, and then chipped away the outer layers of ash, revealing the casts of the victims at their time of death. They made over 100 casts, which are still on display today at Pompeii and in museums around the world.

Archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli invented a new technique to recreate the bodies of the victims of Mount Vesuvius’ 79 AD eruption. Source: Imgur

Fiorelli’s technique was revolutionary, as it allowed not only to preserve the shape of the bodies, but also to capture their facial expressions, clothing, jewelry, and even objects they were holding.

The beginning of the end for these people came on August 24, 79 AD, the day following the Roman festival of Volcanalia, which was dedicated to the god of fire. At noon, Mount Vesuvius erupted, unleashing thermal energy akin to to 100,000 times the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. It then emitted ash continuously for 18 hours, burying the nearby cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, obstructing doors, filling courtyards, and causing roofs to collapse.

Pliny the Younger’s account is the sole surviving eyewitness report of the eruption, detailing his uncle’s ill-fated venture into the ash-choked area near Misenum, situated at the northern edge of the bay.

“…the buildings were now shaking with violent shocks, and seemed to be swaying to and fro as if they were torn from their foundations. Outside, on the other hand, there was the danger of failing pumice stones, even though these were light and porous; however, after comparing the risks they chose the latter. In my uncle’s case one reason outweighed the other, but for the others it was a choice of fears. As a protection against falling objects they put pillows on their heads tied down with cloths. “

And then:

“You could hear the shrieks of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men; some were calling their parents, others their children or their wives, trying to recognize them by their voices. People bewailed their own fate or that of their relatives, and there were some who prayed for death in their terror of dying. Many besought the aid of the gods, but still more imagined there were no gods left, and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness for evermore.”

The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum by John Martin, 1822.

The following day, the volcano’s cone crumbled, causing a rapid mud and ash flow racing at a hundred miles per hour to engulf and obliterate Pompeii, located just over five miles away. Both Pompeii and the adjacent settlement of Herculaneum vanished without a trace, remaining concealed until their accidental rediscovery during the construction of King Charles III of Bourbon’s palace in 1738. Remarkably, the two cities were exceptionally well-preserved beneath layers of calcified ash.

The recreation of the victims’ bodies. Image: U. Cesino / Pompeii Sites

The casts reveal the agony and terror of the people who were suffocated by the toxic gases and ash, or burned by the pyroclastic flows that swept over Pompeii. Some of them are huddled together, others are lying alone, some are covering their mouths or eyes, some are clutching their belongings or pets.

Casts of the corpses of a group of human victims of the 79 AD eruption of the Vesuvius, found in the so-called “Garden of the Fugitives” in Pompeii. Photo: Lancevortex

The dead bodies so recreated are not only a powerful reminder of the doomsday tragedy that struck Pompeii, but also a valuable source of information about the life and culture of its inhabitants.

Some of the casts show people hugging, praying, sleeping, or trying to escape. Some show children, pregnant women, or even dogs. Some show signs of disease or injury. Some have been misidentified or misinterpreted over time, such as the famous “Two Maidens” who turned out to be men after DNA testing.

They also help us understand how they died, whether by suffocation, thermal shock, or trauma caused by falling debris.

Plaster cast of a dog at Pompeii. Photo: Claus Ableiter

The plaster casts are displayed in various locations in Pompeii, such as the Garden of the Fugitives, where 13 bodies were found in a vineyard, or the Stabian Baths, where several people sought refuge.

Some casts are also exhibited in museums around the world, thanks to 3D scanning and printing technology that allows for reproducing them without damaging the originals.

Cast of body, Pompeii. Photo: Nigel Hoult

The plaster casts of Pompeii are a unique and priceless testimony of a moment frozen in time, when a thriving city was suddenly wiped out by a natural catastrophe. They are a poignant reminder of the fragility of human life.