The plaster cast bodies of the Pompeii victims are the most vivid shocking reminders of the horrific event that made Pompeii famous. The Pompeii citizens were choked by the ash and pumice-stone dust or killed by the accompanying poison gas. Hundreds of casts of human and animal bodies survive in Pompeii. The way they were preserved is unique and gives an insight into the life and death of the city.Excavating Plaster Casts of Bodies at Pompeii, Italy. Excavators at Pompeii will frequently come across a void in the hardened ash, made by organic remains decomposing after the ash/mud has set. Early excavators would pour concrete into the voids and excavate around them subsequently. Today a clear polymer is used instead, allowing archaeologists to see the relation of artefacts and bones therein.
The plaster cast bodies of the Pompeii victims are the most vivid shocking reminders of the horrific event that made Pompeii famous. The Pompeii citizens were choked by the ash and pumice-stone dust or killed by the accompanying poison gas. Hundreds of casts of human and animal bodies survive in Pompeii. The way they were preserved is unique and gives an insight into the life and death of the city.Excavating Plaster Casts of Bodies at Pompeii, Italy. Excavators at Pompeii will frequently come across a void in the hardened ash, made by organic remains decomposing after the ash/mud has set. Early excavators would pour concrete into the voids and excavate around them subsequently. Today a clear polymer is used instead, allowing archaeologists to see the relation of artefacts and bones therein.
