The remains of a pregnant turtle, only a few years before the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius, draws attention. Among the ruins of Pompeii, archaeologists have found the remains of a pregnant turtle that was crushed under a house after an earthquake that hit the city of Rome in 62 AD but before the devastating volcanic eruption in 79 AD.
This new discovery was uncovered by a team from the Free University of Berlin, L’Orientale University of Naples, Oxford University and the Pompeii Archaeological Site during excavations of Pompeii’s Stabian baths, a heated pool and spa complex. Dating the archaeological layers suggests that the little turtle died during the rebuilding of the buildings between the earthquake and the eruption, and that the pregnant tortoise entered the abandoned area for shelter.
Unfortunately, this asylum plan doesn’t seem to be working very well. In the remnants of the structure struck by the earthquake, archaeologists discovered the cracked remains of an unusually small turtle from a time just before the eruption in 79 AD.
In a statement made by Gabriel Zuchtriegel, General Manager of Parco Archeologico Pompei, “Obviously not all houses have been rebuilt, neighborhoods, even the most central parts of the city, have been under-visited, so much so that they have become the habitat of wild animals; “At the same time, the expansion of the baths is a testament to the great confidence that Pompeii was rebuilt after the earthquake but was destroyed in a single day in 79 AD.”
Mature females of this species typically have a shell larger than 20 centimeters, although the diameter of the shell of this individual was only 14 centimeters. Despite its small size, the turtle was pregnant and carried a single egg that had not yet been laid. Turtles can typically lay between one and six eggs at a time. However, if the nest conditions are not suitable, they can store their eggs for years to come.
Better days would not come, even if the turtles didn’t know about it. Even if they survived this period of refuge, Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, causing a deadly firestorm of hot ash and volcanic debris that scorched the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The last day of Pompeii went down in history and inspired countless scientific studies investigating the city’s vibrant past and difficult end. The latest find isn’t the first turtle discovered here, but the story of this little turtle is now added to the big story of Pompeii.
“The Tortoise adds a piece to this mosaic of relationships between culture and nature, community and environment that represents ancient Pompeii history,” says Zuchtriegel.
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