JAKARTA - The remains of a turtle and its eggs have been excavated by archaeologists in Pompeii, a Roman city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. The animal was found hidden under the clay floor of a barn and probably died before Vesuvius erupted.
"He had dug a burrow where he could lay his eggs, but failed to do so, which probably led to his death," said Valeria Amoretti, who works as an anthropologist at the site.
The unusual find was uncovered during excavations in an area that had been devastated by a devastating earthquake in AD 62, then absorbed into a public bathhouse.
The site was originally a mansion with fine mosaics and frescoes, dating to the 1st century BC, and archaeologists are not sure why the building was not restored but instead was taken over by the Stabian baths.
"The presence of the tortoise in the city and the abandonment of the luxurious domus illustrates the extent of the transformation after the earthquake of 62 AD," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director general of Pompeii.
"Obviously not all houses have been rebuilt and areas, even those in the center of the city, are so rarely visited that they become habitat for wild animals," continued Zuchtriegel.
"At the same time, the expansion of the baths is a testament to the great belief that Pompeii began to return after the earthquake, only to be destroyed in one day in AD 79," he said.
The discovery is part of a research and excavation campaign at the Stabian Baths, carried out by the Freie Universität Berlin and the 'Orientale' University of Naples, in collaboration with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.
"The ongoing excavation campaign in Pompeii continues to produce new discoveries and important discoveries, which underscore the immense wealth of this historical treasure and true memory that fascinates the whole world," said Culture Minister Dario Franceschini.
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