Block of stone violently thrown up by volcanic cloud fell on to victim, Pompeii archaeologists say

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Officials at the Pompeii archaeological site have announced the discovery of the skeleton of a man crushed by an enormous stone while trying to flee the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Pompeii officials on Tuesday released a photograph showing the skeleton protruding from beneath a large block of stone that may have been a door jamb which had been “violently thrown by the volcanic cloud”.

The victim, who was estimated to be over 30, had his thorax crushed. Archaeologists have not found the victim’s head. Officials said the man had suffered from a leg infection that may have caused walking difficulties and thus impeded his escape.

The archaeological site’s general director, Massimo Osanna, called it “an exceptional find” that contributes to a better “picture of the history and civilisation of the age”.