Archaeologists in Pompeii have discovered the remains of a pregnant turtle that sought refuge in the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in 62 AD only to be covered in volcanic ash and rock when Vesuvius erupted.
Hermann’s 14 cm long turtle and its egg were discovered during excavations in an area of the old town that, after being razed by the earthquake, was being rebuilt for the construction of public baths, authorities said Friday. Pompeii was destroyed after the volcanic eruption of 79 AD.
Archaeologists suspect that the turtle, a common species in southern Europe, sought refuge among the ruins of a house that was too damaged by the earthquake to be rebuilt.
Sign up for First Edition, our free daily newsletter, every weekday morning at 7:00 BST
The director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, said the fact that the animal still had its egg suggested he died before finding a safe and hospitable place to lay it.
“This allows us to reflect on Pompeii in this post-earthquake phase, but before the eruption, when many houses were being rebuilt, the whole city was a work, and obviously some spaces were so unused that wild animals could roam, come in and try to lay eggs, ”he said.
It is not the first turtle to be found in Pompeii, and Zuchtriegel said a major focus of current excavations and research concerns organic and agricultural materials found outside the urban center of Pompeii.
The discovery of the turtle adds to “this mosaic of relationships between culture and nature, community and environment that represents the history of ancient Pompeii,” he said.
Excavations in the Stabiane Baths section of Pompeii are being carried out by the Free University of Berlin, the University of Naples L’Orientale and the University of Oxford next to the Pompeii Archaeological Site.