A new study reveals that one Pompeii victim was carrying a medical kit with him as he fled Vesuvius' deadly eruption. The man was a physician, or a 'medicus' in Latin, who may have been attempting to treat others injured in the disaster. The leather pouch he was carrying contained a set of bronze surgical tools and a slate tablet for mixing medicines.
Archaeologists have uncovered a chilling detail from one Pompeii victim - revealing his attempts to save others caught in the blast. The man was carrying a medical kit with him as he fled Vesuvius' deadly eruption, a new study has revealed.
This indicates he was a physician, or a 'medicus' in Latin, who may have been attempting to treat others injured in the disaster. The man was one of 13 Pompeii victims found in a vineyard later named the 'Garden of the Fugitives', where they had gathered to take shelter.
However, their brief refuge ultimately proved deadly as the group were overtaken by a cloud of deadly gases and superheated ash. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said in a translated statement: 'Even two thousand years ago, there were those who didn't practice medicine, limited to office hours, but simply were doctors, at all times, even when fleeing the eruption.
'This man brought his tools with him to be ready to rebuild his life elsewhere, thanks to his profession, but perhaps also to help others. ' However, Mr Zuchtriegel says that this heroic effort was 'thwarted by the pyroclastic flow that struck the group of refugees attempting to leave the city through Porta Nocera. ' Archaeologists have uncovered a chilling detail from one Pompeii victim - revealing his attempts to save others caught in the blast.
The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD was one of the biggest natural disasters of the ancient world, killing at least 2,000 in Pompeii, Herculaneum and other nearby towns. Many were killed as they attempted to flee the volcano's pyroclastic flow, an avalanche of gas, ash and rock reaching 800°C (1,500°F) and travelling at 450 miles per hour (700 km/h). These cascading ashes entombed the victims, setting into a hard layer that captured their final moments in incredible detail.
Archaeologists used these ash casts to create plaster models of around 104 Pompeii victims from various locations around the ancient town. The newly identified medic was discovered in 1961 when archaeologists made plaster casts of the voids in the Garden of the Fugitives. Archaeologists soon noted that one plaster cast contained a mysterious case made of 'organic material', but its contents remained a mystery until now.
Using X–ray and CT scans, scientists were able to peer inside the leather case and reveal its contents to the world. This revealed that the case contained a number of small bronze surgical tools resembling scalpel blades and a small, flat slate tablet with a slight depression in the middle. Using CT scans and X–rays, archaeologists looked inside the leather bag. Revealing a set of bronze surgical tools and a slate tablet for mixing medicines.
This leather pouch marks the man out as a physician, or 'medicus' in Latin, who may have been trying to treat others fleeing the eruption. What tools would an ancient Roman doctor have carried? Roman surgery used a surprisingly advanced array of medical tools that often resemble those we still use today. Surgeons carried basic scalpels made of bronze or steel, depending on the era, as well as tweezers, needles for sewing wounds, and various hooks.
Military doctors might have carried more specialised implements, such as saws for amputating limbs, tools for removing arrows, and special probes for cauterising wounds. Doctors' cases also often contained small tablets for mixing and diluting powdered medication.
However, surgery was still very risky as there was no understanding of how infections spread. Without anaesthetics or disinfectants, the fatality rate was extremely high. Archaeologists think this tablet would have been used for mixing medicines, which often included powdered plants, honey, wine, or vinegar. The scans also reveal the surprising sophistication of the medical case's construction, which featured a locking mechanism based on a toothed wheel.
When the man died, he was holding the bag tightly, clutching it near his belly as he curled up on the ground. These 'tools of the trade' clearly mark out this Pompeii victim as a member of the medical profession, a position that was becoming increasingly well respected at the time. Previously, educated Greek slaves often served as medics for wealthy Romans, but by the time of Emperor Titus, when Vesuvius erupted, medicine was seen as a high–status profession.
This victim also had money and possessions of his own, as shown by a small fabric bag of bronze and silver coins found on his body. These sorts of everyday items are often found with the victims of Pompeii, including such mundane objects as house keys and oil lamps.
However, archaeologists have also found signs that people tried to flee with their wealth, finding bodies carrying precious jewels and coins
Pompeii Eruption Medical Kit Physician Bronze Surgical Tools Slate Tablet Mixing Medicines Roman Surgery Medical Tools High-Status Profession Wealth Precious Jewels And Coins
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