Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
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CHARIOT DISCOVERED IN POMPEII
- Archaeologists working at Pompeii have announced the discovery of a large ceremonial chariot.
- It was found with four wheels, its iron components, bronze and tin decorations, mineralised wood remains, and imprints of organic materials.
Important points:
- It is likely that the chariot was used as a transport vehicle by Roman elites during various ceremonies. This chariot is not a chariot used for agricultural products or the activities of daily life.
- The chariot was spotted during an excavation effort, when an iron artefact’s shape emerged from the volcanic material.
Pompeii disaster
- Pompeii was a resort town frequented by Rome’s elite citizens and consisted of villas, cafes, marketplaces and a 20,000-seat arena.
- Pompeii was a situated in Southern Italy’s Campania region situated along the Bay of Naples. The town was completely buried by volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, over 2,000 years ago.
- It was not only the residents of Pompeii who were affected but the eruption also destroyed the neighbouring town of Herculaneum.
- It is due to the tragedy that the town is well-preserved, and has given archaeologists vast materials to study daily Roman daily life as it was centuries ago.
Excavations
- In 1748, King Charles III of Bourbon initiated scientific excavations at the site, after which large parts of the city were unearthed
- Research into Pompeii and Herculaneum so far has revised scientists’ understanding of the town, the disaster and the sequence of events.
- The investigations of those who died have also revealed details of the town’s citizens and a revised interpretation of a rescue operation launched by the admiral of one of Rome’s navies, Pliny the Elder.
- In November 2020, the Italian Culture Ministry announced the discovery of well-preserved remains of two men, who perished during the volcanic eruption.
- Archaeologists preserved their teeth and bones, and the void left by their decomposed soft tissues has been filled by plaster using a well-perfected casting method by which it is possible to see the outline of their bodies.
SOURCE:MINT
