PREVIEW

Roman Family's Terrifying Last Moments Revealed By New Excavations In Pompeii. The latest excavations in Pompeii have revealed how a family desperately tried to hide from the eruption that killed the Roman city's inhabitants and left many frozen in time. During the excavation, the remains of at least four individuals were found, including a child. A bed had been moved to block the bedroom door to protect the family from the eruption. A bronze pendant, thought to belong to the child, was found, as was a type of amulet worn by male children until they reached adulthood. Among the various other objects found were amphorae, stored in a basement used as a pantry, some of which were used to contain garum, a Roman fish sauce and a set of bronze pottery, consisting of a ladle, a single-handled jug, a basket vase and a shell-shaped cup. The mythological painting that gives the house its name was in the central panel of a wall of the triclinium. It depicts Phrixus riding the Chrysomallo and his sister Helle shortly before drowning. The scientific insights on this recent excavation were published on Wednesday in the e E-Journal of the Pompeii excavations.