It’s been a good week for ... understanding the past
ARCHAEOLOGISTS at Pompeii have uncovered the remains of a man who was decapitated by a huge rock while fleeing the infamous Italian volcano.
Nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, killing many Pompeii residents and freezing them in situ. Archaeologist Massimo Osanna said the skeleton was an “exceptional find”.
Apart from the “emotional impact” of these discoveries, they allow archaeologists to study the people of the city, and even how they tried to escape the disaster.
This latest find is part of fresh excavations in Pompeii undertaken using modern technology. The skeleton appears to be from a man who survived the initial explosion and was fleeing the doomed city. A leg injury, however, may have slowed him down before he was crushed by the boulder, which had been sent hurtling through the air by the force of the eruption.
However, the archaeologists say the skeleton shows signs of a bone infection in his leg, which could have made walking – much less running – very difficult. But at least he had the sense to try to escape ...
It’s been a bad week for ... understanding the present
Fast forward 2,000 years. Authorities have had to issue warnings to people in Hawaii asking them not to toast marshmallows over the lava flowing from Kilauea volcano. Since it first blew on May 3 on the Big Island, the volcano has destroyed 71 homes and forced the evacuation of around 2,000 people.
In such dangerous and difficult circumstances you would hope that hot sweet goo would be the last thing on your mind. But no, there’s always someone prepared to defy the limits of good sense and human intelligence.
The presumably sweet-toothed and soft-headed Jay Furr, from Richmond, Vermont, asked the US Geological Survey on Twitter: “Is it safe to roast marshmallows over volcanic vents? Assuming you had a long enough stick, that is? Or would the resulting marshmallows be poisonous?”
Perhaps he was having a laugh. Just in case, the USGS took the time to respond: “We’re going to have to say no, that’s not safe. (Please don’t try!).”
One hopes Furr took heed of the warning, but it’s hard to be sure.
Humankind obviously hasn’t made that much progress in two millennia.
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