Archaeologists working in the ruins of Roman city Pompeii may have just uncovered the skeleton of the most unfortunate bloke to have ever lived.
Researchers in the ancient city have found the skeleton of a man who died during the cataclysmic eruption of nearby volcano Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.
That, in itself, isn’t unusual: many Pompeii residents have been discovered over the years, often encased in the pyroclastic flow spouted forth from the volcano.
What makes the latest discovery so unique is that the man appears to have survived the first stage of the eruption, only to be smashed by a giant rock as he fled the hellish lava and debris.
Pompeii site officials believe the man, estimated to be in his 30s, died when the rock was “violently thrown by the volcanic cloud”. The enormous stone crushed everything from his chest up. His head is yet to be uncovered.
Lesions on the skeleton’s legs suggest he also suffered from a bone infection, further hampering his ability to escape.
Massimo Ossana, who leads the archaeological site, called it “an exceptional find”. We’d tend to agree: it’s not every day researchers discover a man whose death resembled the grisliest of Looney Tunes cartoons.
