It is one of the most important discoveries of recent years and, above all, amazing. A unicum in Pompeii: to the east of the ancient city, at the necropolis of Porta Sarno, the archaeologists they found the intact tomb of Marcus Venerius Secundio. A very special tomb, because at the time in the city the bodies were incinerated, while that of Marco Venerio is an inhumation tomb and his body is present, lying in a corner, with the nape covered with white and semi-mummified hair.
Marco Venerio, who had passed the age of 60, was a freedman, or a slave who had gained his freedom. He had been the guardian of the Temple of Venus, protector of the city of Pompeii, minister of the Augustals and then, after the liberation, Augustale, or member of a college of priests of the imperial cult. A former slave who had made a fortune and could afford a high-end grave. His body was kept inside an emertically closed cell which allowed its conservation, while two cinerary urns were found externally in the tomb enclosure, one belonging to a woman named Novia Amabilis, probably the wife of Marco Venerio. Only the body of Marcus Venerius was kept in a small cell. “We do not know if in addition to the particular conditions of closure of the burial – he said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the archaeological excavations of Pompeii – there are also other factors that have favored conservation ». An international and interdisciplinary team of experts is already at work on the site. Specialists are also analyzing the remains of the funeral tunic, made in asbestos, a fabric that Pliny the Elder already described as “linen that does not burn”, which may have contributed to the preservation of the body.
Tissue analysis could provide more information. From sources we know that certain fabrics such as asbestos were used for embalming. Even for those like me who have been involved in funerary archeology for some time, the extraordinary wealth of data offered by this tomb, from the inscription to the burials, to the osteological findings and the painted facade, is an exceptional fact, which confirms the importance of adopting a interdisciplinary approach, as the University of Valencia and the Archaeological Park have done in this project », commented a Republic the Professor Llorenç Alapont of the University of Valencia.
273 years after its discovery, one of the most important archaeological sites in the world still reserves incredible surprises: “Pompeii never ceases to amaze, it is the pride of Italy”, commented Minister Franceschini. The tomb and body exams will give a lot of information about the city and its life.
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