Archaeological Park of PompeiiArchaeologists excavate the skeleton of one of the two equids that was found amid the ruins of Pompeii.The devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. killed untold thousands of people in Pompeii. But it wasnt only humans who lost their lives. Countless animals were killed too, as the recent discovery of two equid skeletons has illustrated in tragic detail.Uncovered amid the ruins of a Pompeii bakery, the equids likely horses or donkeys perished during the early stages of the eruption. Using these remains, archaeologists have made new insights about both the role of animals in this ancient city, and the stories of how some of them died during the disaster that unfolded here 2,000 years ago.The Two Equids Found Amid The Ruins Of Pompeiis House Of The Chaste LoversAccording to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, the equids were discovered amid the ruins of a site known as the House of the Chaste Lovers, which is so named for its famous chaste kiss fresco. A sprawling bakery complex that also includes living quarters and a stable, the House of the Chaste Lovers is an important site that has been excavated before. The two equids were unearthed during a recent effort to clean and re-examine areas of Pompeii that were initially excavated in the late 20th century.Archaeological Park of PompeiiThe room at the House of the Chaste Lovers where the equid skeletons were recently unearthed.During this endeavor, a team of archaeologists came across a mound uncovered by previous investigations, which quickly proved both complex and exciting to re-excavate. There, they came across the two equid skeletons. One, RP1, was estimated to be 10-12 years old when it died. The other, RP2, was younger, between three and a half and six years old.One of the two animals, RP1, was found near a set of iron rings connected to a harness, as well as three glass-paste beads, one blue and two white. Though the animals were likely used for labor in the bakery, this decorative harness found near RP1s neck suggests a close relationship between this equid and its human caretakers.The animals had seemingly been moved into a temporary space a room of 6.3 by 3.45 meters because earthquakes had damaged other parts of the complex. Renovations were ongoing at the House of the Chaste Lovers when, in 79 C.E., Mount Vesuvius began to rumble nearby. The subsequent eruption would kill these doomed animals and freeze their final moments in time.What The Equids Reveal About Pompeii And Its Destruction During The Eruption Of Mount VesuviusArchaeological Park of PompeiiArchaeologists excavating the two equids that were found in Pompeiis House of the Chaste Lovers.As archaeologists excavated the equid skeletons, they noted the absence of pumice stones, known as lapilli, in the vicinity of the animals. These stones rained down on Pompeii during the early stages of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, so their absence here suggests that the equids were killed before volcanic debris began to accumulate in the room.Indeed, the presence of a large maple beam above the equid skeletons suggests that earthquakes in the early moments of the eruption may have caused the structure around them to collapse. The two animals inside were seemingly crushed to death before the volcanic eruption intensified.Undiscovered for almost 2,000 years, the remains of these animals help paint an illustrative picture of life in the final moments of Pompeii, a Roman resort town of more than 10,000 people before it was destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E. Pompeii was a thriving ecosystem of both humans and animals, including horses. The recent discovery of the equids offers new clues about how such creatures fit into daily life here.Wikimedia CommonsA 19th-century depiction of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.[Studying Pompeii] is the chance to learn about the human lives that were cut short during the eruption but also the lives of animals, Archaeological Park of Pompeii Director Gabriel Zuchtriegel remarked in a statement.Zuchtriegel continued: In this case, an equine a horse or a donkey which was found inside a house containing beautiful frescoes, the House of the Chaste Lovers This means more research into not only the human victims, but also the animals, to understand how animals and humans lived and worked together in society some two thousand years ago.After reading about the two equids that were found amid the ruins of Pompeii, look through these eerie photos of Pompeii bodies whose final moments were frozen in time by the falling ash of Mount Vesuvius. Then, go inside the colorful history of this collection of Pompeii frescoes.The post Archaeologists In Pompeii Just Uncovered The Skeletons Of Two Work Animals Who Died Tragically During The Eruption Of Mount Vesuvius appeared first on All That's Interesting.