Paper Boys

Episode 76

How did Mount Vesuvius' victims die?

The ancient volcanic eruption caused more suffering than previously thought.

In the year 79 A.D., the infamous Mt. Vesuvius transformed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum–as well as its residents. For a long time, archaeologists thought that all the victims died quickly, vaporizing from the hot ash and leaving their remains in the dust that cooled and hardened. However, new research analyzing their bodies suggests a grimmer story. Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into fascinating new research that seeks to retell the last moments of Mt. Vesuvius’ victims.

Check out the journal articles here and here and the NY Times article here.

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