Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a master and his slave from Pompeii, victims of the cataclysmic volcanic eruption that destroyed the city. They were found in the heart of the ruins of Pompeii and they are offering new insights into life in the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD.

The ruins at Pompeii itself are perhaps one of the best-known archaeological parks in the world. Archaeologists are still making discoveries at the site not far from Naples, Italy. Experts were working in a large villa, that was once the home of a member of the Pompeian elite when they came across the remains. The ruins of this villa are located in the Civita Giuliana, where important finds have previously been made. Archaeologists found the remains of two males in a cellar or underground chamber beneath the villa.

The cause of death for these unfortunate people who died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD is also the reason why archaeologists find remains in such good condition. ( Parco Archeologico di Pompei )

New Human Remains at Pompeii: Are They of a Master and Slave?The remains discovered are of two inhabitants of ancient Pompeii who perished in 79 AD when Mount Vesuvius exploded and engulfed the city with hot ash, pumice and pyroclastic flows. The Guardian quotes Massimo Osanna, the director of the Pompeii archaeological park, as saying that the discoveries are “truly exceptional.” The two preserved bodies found in the villa were that of an older and a younger male, and both had been entombed in ash. The older man was aged between 30 and 40, and the younger man was in his early twenties.

Further investigations showed that the older man had traces of a woolen cloak tucked under his neck. The young man still had the traces of a simple tunic that he wore on that fateful day in 79 AD. A study of the remains showed that his vertebrae were crushed and worn out. Given his age this would suggest that he had been engaged in hard physical work. This may indicate that he was a slave, as slaves were typically involved in backbreaking labor, and that the older man may have been his master.

The slave and his master discovered in a villa on the outskirts of Pompeii must have died a gruesome and excruciating death, as can be seen in the way they are clenching their feet and hands.